New cyber security is everywhere to protect you

New cyber security is everywhere to protect you

Cyber security and identity theft continue to be on the rise.

Thieves are constantly finding ways to get around the technology intended to protect consumers. But the better news is, when it comes to your identity and your money, new cyber security is everywhere to protect you. Companies from email to websites to banks stay on the cutting edge of the necessary technology for thwarting thieves’ ever-advancing techniques and tricks to steal your money.

Some of the technological advances for cyber security include:

Security Codes via Text or Email aka Two-Step Verification – These add an extra layer of security beyond the normal username or ID and password login. Companies send out a unique code by text message or email as an extra measure to verify your identity. The idea is that someone has to have access to both the correct login information and either physically have your phone in-hand or have access to your email, to make logging in as you very difficult.

Security Images – You choose an image or even a series of images to verify your identity. The idea is that someone would have to know your image selections to log in as you. Plus, you have the ability to tell when you're accessing the correct, secure site. This is an important extra layer of protection when copycat sites can look so much like the real deal.

Unique Computer or Device Recognition – When you're on a trusted computer or device that has been logged to your account, you skip this step. But when your account is accessed from an untrusted computer or device (or you've cleared your cookies, web page history and/or cache), extra security measures are triggered and you're alerted either via text, email or even right on the screen. That means that a criminal would have to have both your login information and be on a trusted computer to avoid further security measures.

Biometrics – Definitely the most interesting, and possibly most secure, of all the methods – biometrics uses physical characteristics to identify you. Unique characteristics like your fingerprint, face, and/or voice provide an additional layer of security to verify your identity. Although this technology has been around a long time for high-security situations, it's beginning to be used for multiple applications. Companies are adding this ability via new mobile device apps as well as having biometric scanners in physical locations – like the fingerprint scanners some banks now use.

Updated Website Security – Websites have even beefed up security and you're now alerted to insecure websites not employing https. In particular, we see these on sites that take payment methods of any kind, including membership sites and online stores.

Quick-use One-Time Authentication Tokens: Some companies, especially banks and other financial institutions, often use this method. Usually sent via text or email, the tokens are only good for a very short amount of time – even as little as 30 seconds. In order for someone to log in or access your account, they must have access to the token as well as your normal login information and be able to enter both within the allotted time frame.

As cyber security continues to grow in importance, watch for even more sophisticated methods and for heightened security in more places than ever before. Despite the advanced options, I want to encourage you to not rely on only those to protect your identity and your finances. It isn't enough.

I even want you to go beyond the level of identity theft protection offered by banks and included in auto and home insurance policies. Although those sources do give some protection, many are not the full identity theft protection you really need for you and your whole family, including children.

So many organizations, offices, and businesses store identifying information about your entire family, no matter their age. Thieves especially love to get their hands on the identities of children. This is because their financial lives are rarely monitored, making it easier to steal their identity and have it go unnoticed.

With full identity theft protection for your whole family, not only will all financial aspects and identity activity be monitored on all members, full restoration services are included. In the event you are targeted, proper identity theft protection takes over the arduous task of dealing with lost finances, restoring and proving your identity, and more. The very low investment of full identity theft protection is fully worth it.