The following are just a few tips on internet security and how you can help combat and guard yourself from unwanted hackers and internet spyware. Identity theft is a serious problem and one you should take seriously.

Please review the following basic recommendations and suggestions:

• Never open e-mails of unknown origin or containing a subject matter you do not recognize.
• Never click on links or embedded URL information that come to you via e-mail, especially if you are not certain of the source.
• Always employ “sweep” or detection software. There are many good products, such as Norton Anti-Virus, WEBRoot, Trend or MacAfee, but you should decide which one is best for you.
• Never give personal information over the telephone, unless the call is initiated by you to a number that you know is genuine (such as the phone number on your statement, bill or other “official” document).
• Be suspicious if someone asks you for a password you use on the Internet. Most companies do not ask for passwords as a matter of policy.
• Never use phone numbers contained in an e-mail or off-line correspondence you receive. Even if it “warns” you of a potential “problem” with your account. Use only trusted phone numbers from trusted sources.
• Refrain from widely using and clicking onto URL’s that you get from search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Ask Jeeves for example. While a majority of the WEB sites you access via these searches are legitimate, be diligent with those that are unfamiliar to you.

While a majority of the above may seem intuitive, you may be surprised as to how many people take this lightly. You would never leave the keys to your house in the front door, or the keys to your car in the trunk lock, nor would you leave your front door and windows open when you go on vacation, but when people engage in the behaviors listed above, they are essentially doing just that.

Here are a few links that may also be helpful in creating strategies to avoid identity theft:

http://www.microsoft.com/protect/default.mspx
Anti-Phishing Working Group: eBay – “Security Notification”
http://www.basic-computerskills.com/index.html

These steps are merely suggestions and are not a complete list of the possible hazards you may encounter when using the Internet. Each user is different. These tips are offered to our clients as a way to inform them of some of the risks you may encounter. You should consult with an expert in this area or make your own independent determination of what steps you should take to secure your personal information.