Information Integrity

Identity theft is a big problem in the United States and throughout the world. The Internet is partly responsible because of the availability of person information found online. Hackers and criminals target their victims through the use of a variety of Internet scams. Phishing is a popular way to obtain your personal financial information. That’s because they use emails that look like they are from your bank. If you don’t pay attention to the details of the email, you could find yourself a victim. Once (more…)

There are many reasons to monitor the information on your credit report.

1. Nearly every credit report has inaccurate information. Correcting errors can increase your credit score.

2. It is difficult for an thief to steal your identity if you review your credit file on a regular basis.

3. If you know what is on your credit report, you will know what you qualify for before you apply for a loan.

4. Potential employers often review credit reports.

5. Insurance companies use credit scores as a factor in determining their rates.

6. If you plan to finance (more…)

Did you know everything you look up online is stored for all posterity? For example, search engines know when you look up “how does debt settlement work” and “what do I do about this rash.” It’s fine to continue searching the way you always have but there are some things you should never put out there on the web.
Your Contact Information: Have you ever typed your phone number or address onto a Facebook friend’s wall? That information is still searchable and you may be putting your identity in danger.
Your Embarrassing Photos: If the political elections of the past few years have showed us anything it’s not to put unflattering photos online. Even ‘deleted’ photos on social networks are still available for years to come – don’t ever have them posted if you don’t want someone to find them later.
Your Financial Data: OF course you know not to paste your credit card number all over the web but what about your past associations with credit card or utility companies. Before you take a crack at Time Warner on Twitter think about how that information could be used against you.

Searching the internet for information is a daily task for many. But there is one more thing you should search for while you are browsing: yourself. There are many reasons why this is important. If you are searching for a job it is vital that information posted online about you is accurate and current. If you possess a very common name there may be many results to sort through. Any inappropriate pictures or cruel statements posted on social networking sites could come back to haunt you.Didn’t catch that? This explains it. If your search returns these things, (more…)

Have you ever googled your full name? You might be surprised at what you find. Who would of thought there were so many people with the same name you have. Maybe you thought you were the only one, especially if it is a little different and you parents spelled it that way so you would be unique. Well, surprise, you aren’t, there are several more of you. You might find out that someone with your name died in a recent car accident at a young age, or they just opened their first art show.Check out this link here. It is really amazing and (more…)

Now it is more important to monitor your credit rating closely. There are constantly stories of people stealing mail, credit card info, or even using spyware on your computer to get access to personal sensitive information; too many ways to secure all of them. Your best tool will be to be vigilant. With the influx of internet shopping and online transactions, there has been a massive boom of ID theft and constant monitoring can help give you an extra level of protection. If you are targeted, swift (more…)

For one to understand the intentions of personal firewall software one needs to think of a locked door or a safe.
The intention of personal firewall software is to not let anything in or out of your computer it deems as a threat unless you say so, or at the very least least not without your knowledge.

Firewall software has been around since 1988 and basically what it does is secure your internet connection by filtering packets going in and out of your (more…)

My friend Alice spends several hours a day on the Internet and has a habit of surfing around on the Internet in the middle of the night. In addition, she keeps all her important business files and home files right on her computer hard drive. The idea of using Identity theft protection software wisely never occurred to her. Sure, she knew about the thieves who target unsuspecting individuals on the Internet and hack into their computers to steal important personal information, but still it never occurred to her that using identity theft protection software wisely could save her a (more…)

In today’s society, it is important to keep your information private and secure. If your personal information gets in the hands of the wrong person, your identity can be stolen, your credit ruined, and you will have to sort the mess out on your own. One way to make sure your information stays private is to destroy your old documents with a paper shredder. Depending on the model, you can shred multiple papers at a time, and some even allow you to shred old (more…)

Urban legends have fascinated (and sometimes terrified us) for generations. When these legends are mistaken for truth, however, information integrity can be severely compromised. Snopes.com is one of the best-known fact-checkers on the interneta go-to resource for any type of overheard factoid, from old wives’ tales to hoaxes, celebrity gossip, and common mis-beliefs.The articles on the site are almost entirely written by Barbara and David Mikkelson. This devoted husband-and-wife duo has made a career out of correcting circulating rumors. They go through a variety of research and physical fact-checking to prove their point, such as tracking down President dollar coins to prove that they still say “In God We Trust.” Other recent rumors that the Mikkelsons have recently debunked include an upcoming cell-phone directory that will be available to telemarketers, and the rumor that Mars will be closer to Earth this August than at any time during our lifetimes. (more…)