How to safeguard our personal and financial data???

In this digital century, many things we use to work through people, paper or phone had slowly become obsolete. Example buying goods, deposit of money in bank, pay bills and etc. Since, there is advancement of technology and e-commerce. Or sometime is the company’s policy to do online. So sometime there is a necessary for us to disclose our personal data or financial data online such as passwords, credit card number, bank account number and etc. But how are you going to know that your personal and financial data have not misuse by other people because with spyware, viruses, hackers, etc, it is very easy for anyone to become the victim of online fraud or identity theft.
So there is a need for us to know the way to safeguard our personal and financial online. There are some ways for us to use when we are online in order to protect the financial and personal data:
1. Install a firewall, anti-virus software and other security. These software programs are designed to allow good people and keep bad people out. Since, there is an increasing common practice is the use of malicious code to acquired personal data needed to commit identity theft.
2. Make sure the security software is up-to-date. Although many people had security software but they did not update regularly. This is a big mistake since the malicious code is always changing. If the security software did not up-to-date, then might be a change that the software can’t detect the mistake.
3. Be suspicious on the mystery attachments. Don’t open to mystery attachment or click on a link from financial institution, internet services provided or other organization asking you to provide personal information online. Because, first, attachments might contain virus. Second, good reputable firm never ask for personal information in this manner.
4. Ensure the URL is HTTPS and not HTTP. Although for the words we see HTTPS and HTTP difference just a S. But actually the S makes a large difference. This mean that the communication between and the website server is secure and encrypted. So if someone tries to read the data across the internet they would not be understand because the data was encrypted. This is one of the best for those who buying online. Since the need to disclose the personal and financial data.
5. Don’t cut and paste links or click the link in the e-mail. Because like this the change the link will link a fake website is higher. Generally it is safer to log into a particular website by typing out the web address.
6. Avoid saving financial info at the shopping website. Because now a day shopping website will give you a choice to save the credit card info in the website so that next time you visit the website no need to retype the info. But it is not safe since there might be a chance someone hacks in the shopping website database.
7. Keep your password unique. Don’t ever use your birthday as your password since it is easy to other to know it or hack in. Try to use some symbol or number beside alphabet. It will become harder for hacker to figures it out.
8. Only go to trusted computer shop for fixing computer. This is true, as we can see in the case of Edison Chan a Hong Kong singer and movie star in the photo scandal. Since, the computer personal have the chance to assess all the financial and personal info that we have save in computer.

Last but no lease, be common sense a bit and smart in dealing with personal and financial data online.