Identity theft is a growing problem in Honolulu and the rest of the United States.  Thieves steal personal information and use it for their personal gain or sell it to other criminals.

With good reason, many people are afraid thieves will gain access to their private information via the computer.  This is possible for them to do, but there are ways to protect yourself.  Installing antivirus, antispyware, firewall protection and hardware firewalls are just the beginning.  Given the horrible consequences of having your identity stolen, always err on the side of caution to protect your personal information.  Here are some suggestions to keep your computer safe:

• When setting up wireless internet access, learn more about wireless security.
• Store your back up data away from your computer.
• Avoid opening emails from people you don’t know.
• Never open attachments unless you know who they are coming from.
• Make sure you enable your browser to block pop-ups.
• Never use your credit card on a website that does not direct you to a secure page with a URL starting with https://.
• Use different passwords for each site that requires one.  Build strong passwords by mixing letters, numbers and other keyboard symbols.

For more information on computer safety, visit Internet Safety Solutions.

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