data privacy day.....

today is data privacy day, and since i work for an information security company, i feel obligated to remind you that this is the perfect time to make sure all of your personal information is secure. over 30 million americans have been victims of identity theft, and that number is increasing rapidly. it is a good idea to check your credit report every year and make sure there is no unusual activity. annualcreditreport.com allows you to access your credit report once a year for free (unlike some of those other "free" sites that really make you sign up for something).

also, changing your passwords and pins annually is a good idea. and, although this doesn't necessarily have to do with identity theft, now is the perfect time to backup all your data on your computer. too often we put it off until our computers crash and then we wish we had done it sooner. all of those documents, pictures and files you have are important and possibly irreplacable (as I can personally attest to with my recent computer crash).

make sure you shred any old bills, credit card offers, etc....pretty much anything that has your name and address on it that you don't want to keep. it's amazing what information you can find digging in someone's trash, and how quickly it can all be put together to forge someone's identity.

i have many other tips to offer, but i'm off to celebrate data privacy day (and surely you are too!!). hope this is somewhat helpful. please let me know if you have any questions!!

out.
- L