Cases of identity theft and fraud in the US are on the rise, with 4.8 million incidents reported in 2020. That’s an astounding 45 percent increase from the 3.3 million incidents reported in 2019.  Most incidents of identity theft happen online, given that most Americans have moved a large part of their lives to the online world.  Identity theft can have devastating consequences. You could lose money, find yourself in surprise debt, or even get arrested for crimes committed under your identity. Thankfully, you can prevent identity theft online through a few simple steps. In today’s post, we outline eight ways to safeguard your personal information as you use the internet. But first we answer a couple of key questions. What Is Identity Theft? Identity theft refers to a type of fraud in which someone steals and uses your personal information to impersonate you. Once they have your identity, the criminal can receive services in your name or commit other crimes using your personal information. Generally, people who commit identity theft target personally identifiable information (PII). Criminals can also target other types of information, such as your postcode, current or former employer, and race.  How Do Criminals Steal Identities? Crooks use a variety of ways to steal identities. Some of the old-fashioned ways include stealing your mail, going through your trash can for old copies of bank statements and bills, stealing your purse or wallet, and so on. Cybercriminals commit identity theft online after stealing your data through such tactics as phishing, malware, and confidence scams. Simple Ways to Prevent Identity Theft The good news is that you’re not helpless against identity theft. The following actionable tips can help uphold your online safety. Use Reliable Security Software One of the top ways data security is compromised is through malicious software. Once the system is compromised, other safeguards will be of little help as hackers already have the key to your actions online. The best way to safeguard against malicious software is by using reliable anti-malware software. With such a security program, you ensure that hackers don’t have backdoor access to your personal data. Be sure to use an antivirus program on all gadgets you use to access the internet, including your smartphone, tablet, and laptop. Ensure you also keep everything in your system updated, including your operating system. Know How to Spot Phishing Scams Phishing is a favorite tactic of cybercriminals. That’s because it’s arguably more effective than just about any other attack hackers use to breach unsuspecting victims. While some phishing scams are considerably easy to understand, others in social networking sites and email can seem very legitimate. The best way to avoid being a victim of phishing is to not click on any link sent to you before you’re sure it’s safe. Before you click on a link, find the website first using a search engine to verify its legitimacy and safety. Practice Solid Password Management Cybercriminals love weak passwords, particularly where the victim uses the same password for all their accounts. As soon as a hacker has your password, they can log into your financial or other accounts and wreak havoc.  Unfortunately, most people don’t take their password security seriously. It’s no wonder compromised passwords account for the vast majority of all hacking breaches.  The best way to manage your passwords is to invest in a reliable password manager. Such tool helps generate strong passwords and store them securely. Other reliable password management practices include two-factor authentication (2FA) and single sign-on (SSO).  Monitor Your Credit Accounts   Once they steal your personal information, criminals can open new lines of credit under your name. The best way to know what’s going on with your credit accounts is to monitor them monthly. Check your account statements for any suspicious activity, such as charges that you didn’t make. In case you spot any suspicious activity, report it to the relevant officials right away. Even better, consider freezing your credit. This entails locking your credit so that no new credit can be provided to someone without additional controls and information. In most cases, the law gives you the right to freeze your credit without charges. Use Reputable Websites When Buying Products Unless you already know the reputation of the company you’re shopping from, do a bit of research before making purchases through their site. Generally, you want to see how other users review them and what rating they have with the BBB.  Does the company use a secure and encrypted connection to ensure data protection? If not, how can they guarantee the security of your personal and financial information? Avoid providing your sensitive data unless you’re sure a company’s website is secure and that the data you provide can’t be used for malicious purposes.  Stop Divulging Personal Information on Social Sites Social media sites are a great place to connect, but they can also be where you get robbed. Cybercriminals are always on the prowl for unsuspecting people who share too much personal information.  Do you really need to divulge your bank details, mother’s maiden name, or date of birth? The information you give could just be what a hacker needed to steal your identity. Guard your information fiercely to remain safe. Stop Identity Theft in Its Tracks Getting your identity stolen can have far-reaching consequences, including ruining you financially. That’s why it’s vital to always keep your guard up, especially when surfing the web. With the simple tactics we’ve shared in this post, you can prevent identity theft and enjoy the digital life more. Are you interested in reliable identity management tools for you or your business? Please, contact us today.

Regardless of the type of your business, having a computer and internet connection is fundamental. The majority of programs and systems used in business such as cloud services, chat programs, document and content management systems, and many more are accessed via a browser. We will help you learn more about Single Sign-On (SSO), how it works, which benefits it brings and why you should consider implementing it to your business. All of these systems and programs use usernames, passwords and individual logins which are sometimes difficult to organize and keep secure. Just think how difficult it may be to remember 2-3 different passwords, let alone 10 of them! This is where Single Sign-On (SSO) comes into play by providing you with a more secure experience and a more efficient workflow. What is SSO? Single sign-on or SSO is defined as “authentication process that allows a user to access multiple applications with one set of login credentials. SSO is a common procedure in enterprises, where a client accesses multiple resources connected to a local area network (LAN).” The use of SSO eliminates the need to hold all of your passwords in a database, reduces the time spent on login troubleshooting and cuts down the probability of damages caused by hacking. You no longer need to enter usernames and passwords for each account, as SSO streamlines of logins so that a user can only enter login credentials once in order to access numerous accounts. How does it work? SSO applications contribute to the convenience and efficiency of your workflow as well as to the overall security of your and your employees’ data and they can be used with your custom applications and third-party SaaS websites. Once you log in to some website, your browser stores cookies, especially information about authentication in order to make any of your further logins easier and to recognize that it is you who is logging in. SSO works by both remembering your password and also by utilizing an authentication domain. When you log in, the SSO will enable the website to verify that it is you by using the provided domain which gathers info from cookies. SSO is compatible with the variety of services and websites, and even if you are using a custom web app, you can make it SSO compatible by simply adding its domain to the program’s application programming interface (API). The benefits Stronger security. At first, SSO may seem like a less secure option for some as it uses only one password for all accounts. And if someone cracks that one password, a number of domains may be compromised. However, using one more complex password instead of a few simple ones will prevent this from happening. SSO providers take any necessary steps to avoid these unfortunate scenarios by letting you customize the level of security needed for your business – it allows you to create passwords which are as complex as needed, and employees don’t even have to know them, as IT can manage any registrations. SSO systems utilize numerous authentication techniques to make your passwords secure and to recognize if it is your employees who are logging in. If somebody who is not your employee attempts to log in to a certain domain containing sensitive info, the system will analyze the browser’s cookies and IP address. If the authentication information is coming from an unapproved IP address or if it is not even present, SSO will instantly deny access and inform you about this. Moreover, to make you feel even more secure, SSO can demand multi-factor authentication. For instance, some systems possess mobile apps that can serve as a second credential when logging in to your SSO. When you log in using your computer, the app will notify you about the login and complete it either by accepting or refusing access and also alert you if someone unauthorized tries to access your account. In addition, some SSO solutions include fingerprint identification, facial recognition, and PasswordLess solution from LogMeOnce. Increased efficiency. When you can have access to all of your accounts using one login, you are granted efficiency. Many SSO solutions have entirely customizable features such as plugins for Google Chrome which enable you to have immediate access to all of your apps. Some possess a web portal which stores all of the company’s important services and websites. Your IT members will no longer need to spend time on changing passwords that are forgotten and dealing with help tickets. The majority of solutions have an authentication framework which enables more efficient management of the logins and adding/removing employees from your system. Improved productivity. A lot of businesses require their employees to use very long and complex passwords for each of their accounts. This may not sound as a huge problem, but when you are in your office and have a great load of work to complete, and each program you wish to access asks you for a different password – you may become quite annoyed. Especially when you forget some of those passwords in the process. Moreover, if you type in the wrong password more than twice, some programs will immediately ban you from the system. Such situations may take a lot of time and, instead of focusing on their work, employees will have to deal with finding a solution, which greatly affects productivity in the long run. Luckily, with the help of SSO, productivity can be your primary concern. Lowered help desk expenses. According to Gartner, 50% of all help desk calls have something to do with passwords, and according to Forrester, password fixes prices can go up to $70. To prevent these unreasonable costs, implementing an SSO solution can solve your problems and save you significant amounts of time and money. In conclusion, if you are the head of the company and if your primary goals are productivity and security, SSO can help you achieve them effectively and in a timely manner!