One You Blog

How Worried Should I be about Same Namers?

The odds are good that someone out there has the same name as you.  Or, at least a substantially similar one.  If you don’t believe it, just Google your own name.

So, how worried should you be about people who can legally use your name?  Well, that depends on a few factors:

1. The commonality of your name.
2. The impressiveness of your credentials.  (The more impressive they are the more tempting they will be)
3. How good your credit is and how diligent you guard this fact.

Be wary, and always check your credit report.  Even if that other John Smith isn’t dishonest the credit reporting agencies can make a mistake.

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What are the questions I need to ask when conducting a personal security analysis?

When you are conducting a personal data security analysis you need to look at some basic questions:

* What information is freely available to the public?
* Is this information enough for someone else to pose as me?
* Am I giving away critical data like my employer, banking, or demographic data?
* Would I feel uneasy with a stranger knowing this about me?

Once you have answered these you will know if you are giving away too much.

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Consider All Your Profiles When You Do Security Analysis

When you look at the security of one of your online profiles it is practical to look at each one individually but you need to consider them on the whole.

A person who is looking to steal your identity will not limit themselves to just one site.  They will use any and all available information to get what is yours.  That means in order to prevent your ID from being stolen you need to look at things on the whole.

What should you look for?  The same things you look for in each individual site.

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Online Dating and Identity Theft: A Guide to Caution

You decided to try online dating.  It can be a lot of fun, if you don’t get burned in the process.  Aside from worrying about sexual deviants and possible serial killers you have to be worried about having your identity stolen.

Some people are creating phishing profiles designed to ensnare the lonely.  How can you spot one?  Just look for a girl (usually these profiles are female) that is too good to be true.

Does she look like a super model, love Stargate SG1 and the Denver Broncos?  Proceed with caution.  Beware if she is also, “open to experimentation” and lists beer as her favorite food.  You’ve found a honey pot trap.

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Fake NFL player Convicted of ID Theft

Just to prove that anyone can claim to be anything online, this week a man who claimed to be a player for the Denver Broncos online was convicted of identity theft, and motor vehicle theft.

The 40 year old was going by the handle of Johnny Harlan. He managed to convince a number of users online to give out personal information, usually fans. He then used the fans information to get expensive cars and loans.

He faces upto 48 years in jail, but will not be sentinced until Feb. 26th. In additon to the charges he faces in his home town, he will also have to face charges in Denver.

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Identity Theft and Online Gaming

Sure, that girl in the MMO is hot, or at least her custom avatar is, does that mean you should trust her?

Probably not.

Remember that a stranger you meet in a game is just like any other stranger. They could still be out to take your identity. You need to be careful not to give out personal data like:

• Your address
• Your real life occupation (IRL)
• Any passwords
• Anything you would not give away in any other situations.

So, be wary on that avatar. No matter how well you think that you know another player, you could just be succumbing to a scammer.

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Beware Online Coupon Sites

This holiday season we are all looking for a deal.  Identity thieves know this, and they are looking to take advantage of it.  That means you should be wary of coupon sites.

If a site promises you amazing deals after you register, keep your guard skip on the deal if you have to give them.

* Your address
* Any financial information
* Home phone number
* Your occupation of employer

Basically, if it seems remotely off, pass on it.

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Facebook to Change Privacy Policy

Facebook users be aware. Soon, your settings will be changes. Unlike previous attempts, which have been based on maxamizing the ad revenue, these changes are designed to protect your privacy.

The change, no more regional networks. Why? Well, noone says it as well as Tom.

“However, as Facebook has grown, some of these regional networks now have millions of members and we’ve concluded that this is no longer the best way for you to control your privacy. Almost 50 percent of all Facebook users are members of regional networks, so this is an important issue for us. If we can build a better system, then more than 100 million people will have even more control of their information.

The plan we’ve come up with is to remove regional networks completely and create a simpler model for privacy control where you can set content to be available to only your friends, friends of your friends, or everyone.”

So, do not be shocked when the network dissapears. Keep your eyes peeled. This time at least, their changes seem to have been for the good of end users.

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Rubber Duck Identity Theft Test on Facebook: How Your Identity Can Be Stolen

Sophos, the internet security company decided to run a test on just how secure your information is, and the results were not promising. They sent out two fake identities, 21-year-old “Daisy Feletin” and 56-year-old “Dinette Stonily”

Each had a non-human photo posted on their profile (in Daisys case a rubber duck, and in Dinette’s two cats), and sent out 100 random friend requests.  The average acceptance rate: 95 people. What kind of information did they share?

• Date of Birth (Full)
• Personal information about friends and family.

Add that to some of the data in your profile, like your home state, occupation and wesites you visit, and Facebook is an identity theft banquet.

Be careful who you friend.

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How to Set Up A VPN

If you want to set up a VPN (Virtual Private Network) and get your data as secure as any home network can reasonably be, then these links can help you get to the directions that you need. No stress, and no searching through 1000 Google results.

For Mac Users

For Windows XP Users

For Windows Vista Users

For Windows 7 Users

Now, you can browse safe and sound.

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