How to safeguard our personal and financial data?

The advancement of information technology (IT) makes privacy data being exposed to the public easier than before. Thus, there were so many people had become victims that their confidential data was stolen for unauthorized or illegal purpose. Hence, safeguard of personal and financial data has become an important issue for public now.

Here are the suggestions to safeguard our data:

Avoid to access own privacy data in public
Users are advice not to access own privacy data in public such as cyber café and restaurant by using provided computers. It is because these computers may unsafe for users as it may contain some software (Key-logger or Trojan) to obtain user’s data.

Users should also sign out owns account after they are finish visiting the website such as facebook and hotmail to avoid other user can access their account.

Enhance own computer’s security
Firewall, anti-virus software and password are useful to guard your computer information from the nefarious. User should always update their firewall in order to make it able to block hacker’s unauthorized access. User ought to purchase and install anti-virus software such as Kaspersky, and update it as it helps detect and delete all the Trojan, worms and malicious programs that threat users’ privacy.

It is always a good practice to keep a login password for owns computer as this helps to prevent anybody from intruding into computer when it's left unattended. Besides that, strengthen your security by choosing a password that is a composition of numbers and alphabets. (For example: 2W7Vf9dR54)

Be vigilant while using internet
Try not to visit those unfamiliar web site that those site which been warned by our anti-virus or browser (Firefox). These sites may contain down loadable malicious programs which hided in the some file which user do not know. Not to download unknown programs from the internet is encouraged since it may contain malware.

Internet users likely enter into a phishing web by clicking the hyperlink that provided in web pages. Therefore, always be vigilant on the hyperlink provided by web pages in order to avoid phishing fraud as financial information and passwords will be scamming.

Users are strongly encouraged to delete cookies, temporary internet files and caches that compromise owns privacy after internet activities. Furthermore, user should not allow browser or web-tools to remember the personal data as this action increases the risk to user.

Review monthly financial statement
Review monthly financial statements not only will alert people to possible fraudulent transactions or charges, this may also helps in finding legitimate charges for services that are either redundant or unnecessary.

Change password frequently
Users are encouraged to change password for every period of time such as one month. Changing password can helps to safeguard users’ personal and financial data.

Conclusion
As an Internet user, we should have the common knowledge on how to preventing Internet scam. The fraud and scam cases are increasing every year, our government should education Malaysian on how to prevent those scam before it’s happened. In additional, we should not too depending on the antivirus that it is not the sufficient strategy to protect our financial data especially the bank account since the hacker and cracker still able to break those anti viruses.

References:
(1) http://www.fool.com/personal-finance/general/2006/09/23/safeguard-your-financial-life.aspx
(2) http://www.isnare.com/?aid=375385&ca=Finances
(3) http://www.internationalsos.com/en/privacy.htm