Keep from getting snagged by phishers
Here are some ideas for keeping yourself safe from Internet phishing.
Kiplinger's recommends the following:
- Never click on a link in e-mail. Even if it looks official it could be a phisher trying to steal your personal information.
- Make sure you have anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall software. This will prevent phishers from launching keystroke loggers and other harmful programs on your computer.
- Use various passwords. Don’t use the same passwords for every site. If someone hacks a site with poor security they could possibly gain access to your other accounts with the same password.
- Don’t use your social security as a log in.
- If you’re going to throw out an old computer, make sure you overwrite all the files on the hard disk. Otherwise your personal information could get into the wrong hands.