How to Keep Your Information Secure

If you don't want your identity stolen, you'd do well to heed Max's warning in Kathryn Bigelow's 1995 futuristic film about the impact of reliving human memory electronically. To thwart identity thieves, you must be suspicious any time you are asked for information about yourself.

Before you give any identity-specific information to a website, don't assume the site is secure - check that it's using all the technology currently available to protect your information. Otherwise, why would you trust them to keep your valuable information safe?

Security visual cues vary from browser to browser, but often include a padlock that is locked when the page is secure and open when it's not. Another clue is that the page is secure is that the web address in the bar at the top of the browser will begin with https://

Which browser are you using? Don't use Internet Explorer 6 (IE6) for secure transactions – it's riddled with security holes. And update your browser frequently. New browser vulnerabilities are discovered daily and many allow attackers to inject malicious software onto your system. Once there, malware can scoop up valuable documents or use your computer as a server that infects other computers.

Get and maintain anti-virus and anti-malware software to prevent virus or malware programs from hijacking your system for their own ends. such as AdAware, Spybot and Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, hunt for malware on your computer. Antivirus software, like AVG and Avast look for viruses as well as some malware hunting capabilities. Many programs offer free versions, at least for home use. Even Microsoft has gotten into the game with its free Microsoft Security Essentials. Most of these programs have automatic updating and automatic scanning features; these should be turned on and left on.

Firewalls are another important line of defence. The built-in firewall in Windows Vista , Windows 7 and the last update to Windows XP are the most commonly used and, although not my favourite, are better than not using a firewall at all. Zonealarm is a also popular free firewall program. Most Wi-Fi routers come with some form of firewall. All will require configuration.

A critical part of safeguarding your information online is creating strong passwords and changing them often. If your password is your birthday, street address or the birthday or street address of a loved one, you might as well have it tattooed on your forehead. There are many ways of creating memorable passwords. Check out our 5 Tips for Keeping Passwords Safe.

Risky Behaviour

Have you set up security on your Wi-Fi router properly? If not, anyone parked on your block can access the Web using your router. Worse, they may be able to snoop inside any home computer linked to that router that has been left on. If your Wi-Fi equipment card only supports the Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) security protocol for wireless local area networks, replace it as soon as possible. WEP is only used on old hardware that cannot be upgraded, and can be cracked in just over a minute.

Routers at Internet cafes are even worse. Not only are you relying on the expertise of an employee with sufficient knowledge to set up a firewall correctly, you may be sitting close to someone who is listening to and recording transmissions over the wireless router. This also applies to the free wireless connections at hotels and airports.

Don't forget to erase your traces after using a public computer at a library or Internet café. Did you remember to log out of your account? If not, the next person to use that computer could access anything you logged into.

If you get an email, instant message or text message asking for money or information from a friend, confirm it's really them by asking questions to which only your friend would know the answer. Even if you think you've confirmed who it is, do not give out account information. Why would they need your account number to get money from you?

"Please share your banking information so we can send you some money to pass on." The Nigerian or 419 email scam may be the best example of this. A Canadian woman who fell for something similar lost $90,000.

Mac owners can no longer be smug about being safe from hackers. Never truly invulnerable, Macs have gained enough cache and market share to make them worthwhile targets. Attacks may not yet be as numerous as those on their Microsoft brethren, but as Apple stock soars so will the frequency of attacks on Macs. Even Linux boxes are being hacked!

New forms of attack are always looming. One of the latest, likejacking – where pressing 'Like' does not have the result of "liking" the site you intended has just surfaced on Facebook. While no sites with malicious payloads have emerged yet, it is simply a matter of time before that occurs.

The Web has become an indispensable part of our lives. This will attract many undesirable elements. Be vigilant and employ a modicum of sense, foresight and caution to keep your data safe.