Small retailers are especially vulnerable
When hackers breach a large national retail chain their getting the private information on millions of customers. If you think you have less security issues to worry about when doing business with a small business think again.
Results of a survey taken by the Ponemon Institute in 2013 showed that more than 50% of the small businesses surveyed have experienced a data breach, it also pointed out that only a third of the consumers have been notified that their personal information had been breached. The trend in 2014 is showing similar hacking activities.
Typically the hackers are using cyber thief robots searching the Internet 24 hours a day looking for weaknesses in websites,and they are finding many weak spots to hack into.
Many small businesses cannot afford the expense it would take to patch the weak spots in their systems.
What can you do
If you do a fair amount of business with the same small business and you have concerns about the safety of your private information ask the small business owner to provide documentation that their business has undergone a security assessment by a third-party. Most have not.
To protect your bank account from being siphoned off by a breach it is best to use a credit card rather than a debit card which will limit your liability. And as I've mentioned previously limit the amount of personal information you share with any business that you're doing business with big or small
To protect your bank account from being siphoned off by a breach it is best to use a credit card rather than a debit card which will limit your liability. And as I've mentioned previously limit the amount of personal information you share with any business that you're doing business with big or small
Scams and alerts
The following information are excerpts from the IR TC web page I mention them in pretty much every blog I have published. That is because the information provided by this web page is invaluable and I am trying to get it to as many people as possible.
Scam introduction
****You have not won the lottery in some foreign country that you never bought a ticket for.
****No one is going to ask you for your help to move money from a dead person's account to another place
****the IRS is not electronically auditing you
****when you get called for jury duty no one is going to ask for your so security number
It is imperative to know the scams that these thieves use to gain access to your personal information and in turn steal your hard-earned money and retirement funds. You must be on high alert at all times and use good common sense when someone tries to get you involved in these phony schemes.
Scam detector--- a new mobile and web-based application
This new app is filled with easily accessible educational tools and resources to find crime prevention partners and has the ability to instantly share news of fraudulent activities at the click of a button. Scan detector is considered the go to app in the fight against identity theft. If you go to the ITRC website you can see the amazing capabilities this app provides. You will see nine buttons that categorizes the different types of scams such as auto, employment, social networking, financial, real estate and more. Click a button and it will give you a list of every conceivable scam in that category. I know most everyone is involved with one of the social networks, I clicked on that button and found a hundred and forty two different scams related to social networks.
Support the Identity Theft Resource Center
The IdentityTheft Resource Center has been a lifeline to consumers and victims by providing its FREE services for 15 years. Consumers just like us are reaching out to them more and more both for assistance when they have become a victim and also to arm
themselves with the necessary information to prevent them from becoming a victim. it is important that we do what we can to support their efforts. If you would like to donate please go to the website listed below and click on the donate button, you will also see an address to mail checks to if you prefer to donate in that way. I am sure your help will greatly appreciated.
http://www.idtheftcenter.org/
http://www.idtheftcenter.org/
Other Links of Interest
richardbentley.us
http://seniorscamspodcast.com/index.html
http://101smallbusinessmastermind.com/Master_Mind_Pages.html
http://infocard.cc/101_Marketing_Podcasts.html
