Most people live a large part of life online. Billions of people use the Internet on a daily basis to do everything from checking social media to logging in to online bank accounts. The biggest misconception most people have is that identity theft is something that happens to other people.

In reality, American consumers lose over $900 million a year due to identity theft. Instead of waiting until these cyber-crimes are perpetrated to take action, you need to be proactive. Knowing how hackers obtain the information they need to steal identities is the first step towards protecting yourself.

Read below to find out more about common methods used by cyber-criminals to steal identities.

Phishing Scams are Used Frequently

For most people, checking and responding to emails is something they do on a daily basis. Hackers have a way of taking a person’s lack of knowledge about phishing scams and using it against them. A phishing scam is perpetrated when a hacker sends an email posing as a reputable or real agency or company. These emails will generally ask the recipient to provide sensitive information to solve a particular problem.

Responding to one of these emails with information like credit card numbers or bank account information is a horrible idea. With this information, these cyber-criminals can clean out your bank account and run up the balance on your credit card. Instead of responding to one of these emails, you need to contact the company in question to find out if the communication received is real.

Ransomware Attacks are Growing in Popularity

While most consumers are aware of computer viruses and malware, they may not know about how ransomware attacks are used to steal sensitive information. This attack generally involves the deploying of a computer virus. This virus will allow hackers to take over your entire network and access the information on it.

Generally, the hackers responsible for this attack will demand a ransom to release their stranglehold on your network. Complying with these demands and paying a ransom will only lead to your problems getting much worse. As soon as you are confronted with this type of attack, you should contact IT professionals to help you out.

They may be able to regain control of your network and remove the hackers. If you are looking for a way to prevent these attacks from happening, then investing in a cloud-based backup is crucial. With this backup, you can wipe your network clean in the event of a ransomware attack and restore it with the information from the cloud.

Avoid Using Unsecured Websites

Shopping online is something millions of Americans do. Most people shop online because it allows them to save money and shop from the comfort of their home. However, trying to shop on websites that are not secured can lead to lots of sensitive information falling into the wrong hands. Before you give a particular website your information, you need to make sure they have top-notch security features in place. Ideally, you only want to use websites that provide data encryption.

Getting Professional Computer Help is Vital

If you are having trouble with your computer and can’t figure out how to fix it, working with professionals is your best course of action. At Software Warranty Inc., you can get the online help you need without overpaying.