Equifax Supports Campaign to Increase Awareness about Online Threats

To make Internet users more aware about online threats, Google (News - Alert) and The Citizens Advice Bureau are launching a campaign. In a recent press release, ID fraud expert Equifax announced that it is supporting the campaign, and will spread awareness about internet passwords and scam emails. As an integral part of the campaign, Equifax will urge people to review their own internet activity and protection of passwords.

Few tips Equifax will offer to Internet users are:

• Never disclose your PIN, internet passwords or usernames to your friends, work colleagues, no matter how much you trust them
• Always protect your computer screen with a password
• Lock the computer when you leave it unattended
• Wipe the history on your computer after use
• While using a public computer, log out of sites, rather than just closing the window.
• Never give out your personal details on the phone or by email until you know exactly who you are dealing with and that they are from a legitimate organization.

“The campaign is essential both for consumers and internet businesses, as they need their users to feel safe when they are using the internet,” says Neil Munroe, external affairs director for Equifax, in a statement. “Consumers need to be aware just how easy it is for their personal details to be obtained when doing everyday things online, such as shopping or checking back accounts. They need to know exactly how to prevent online identity fraud and how easily this can be done.”

“Internet fraudsters only need to obtain three pieces of a user’s personal information to be able to obtain goods or money in their name. With the increase of social media sites such as Facebook (News - Alert) and Twitter, and an increase in people shopping online, personal details are easier to obtain than ever.”

“We are urging social network users and people who regularly shop or check their bank account online to ensure that they regularly check their password settings and tight control over who views their personal information,” continued Munroe. “By putting information such as email addresses or phone numbers onto personal accounts, this makes people increasingly more vulnerable to phishing.”

In other news, according to recent research by Equifax, 40 percent of smartphone users don’t use the passcode function on their device, leaving them vulnerable to fraud. With more people using a variety of smartphone devices for work, which can hold a large amount of information, Equifax is urging businesses to make sure they update their security policies to include smartphones. This can protect against any sensitive files or emails being accessed, should the device be stolen or lost.

Rahul Arora is a TMCnet contributor. He has worked as an editor and freelance writer for several reputed organizations in India. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Jennifer Russell