Identity Network Security

Many people use their laptop computers on home networks and free networks in coffee shops and other public locations without a second thought to security. This, however, puts you at risk of identity theft and, therefore, can very dangerous.

Identity theft can occur very easily through unprotected use of wireless networks. However, there are a number of precautions and programs that people can use to protect themselves, whether they are at home or at a public Wi-Fi hotspot.

On home networks, secure your wireless connection with a password. This prevents anyone else from being able to use your Internet connection without that password, thus preventing them from being able to view any information that you send over the Web.

Security is a little more difficult at coffee shops and other public places that provide wireless Internet. However, the following precautions can help:

• Avoid sites that require you to enter bank account numbers, credit card numbers or Social Security numbers when using these open networds. Try to also avoid sites that require you to enter user names and passwords (This is only true for sites that begin with "http." Sites that begin with "https" offer extra security that will protect your information from being viewed or stolen).
• Don't use Internet Explorer. Mozilla Firefox, Opera and Safari (for Mac users) are safer and are still free to download and use.
• If you have VPN access, use it. This will provide you with a lot of extra protection.
• If you're checking e-mail, try to add security precautions provided by your e-mail service. For example, Gmail provides a customized extension that allows users to check e-mail securely in Mozilla Firefox.

There are also a number of security programs that you can install to help protect yourself during Wi-Fi use.

Another way to protect your identity is through careful choice of account passwords and PINs. Making sure no one can get hold of this information or easily guess what it is can help keep your identity secure.

In this section, we'll cover all aspects of identity network security. We'll discuss in-depth how to prevent identity theft, how to choose passwords and PINs, Wi-Fi security measures and systems for preventing network intrusion.

Identity Theft Prevention

Protecting yourself against identity theft is important. Installing security on your computer network, avoiding using personal information and account numbers on public accounts and using security programs can help with identity theft prevention.

Passwords and PINs

Passwords and PINs are important for personal identity security. Access to your passwords and PINs means access to your money, identity and personal information. Therefore, take some time to carefully choose all passwords and PINs that you use.

While passwords should be easy for you to remember, they should not be easy for other people to guess. Birthdays, anniversaries and other obvious dates are not recommended for use as passwords and PINs.

Wi-Fi Security

Wi-Fi security in public places can be somewhat of a challenge. In some cases, you have to install certain programs or change the way you use the Internet. Certain sites must be avoided, and checking e-mail should be done with care by using security measures provided by e-mail services.

Because protecting your personal data, information, accounts and conversations is a worthwhile goal, it's also important not to skip out on taking precautions for Wi-Fi security.

Intrusion Prevention Systems

Intrusion prevention systems prevent other people from accessing the information on your computer network. Most of these systems are hardware that must be added to your system.

These hardware items are situated within the network so that they protect all computers in the network and require less installation and work. Software programs are also available to prevent intrusion, but these must usually be installed on each individual computer in a network.

Protecting your information is important, so it's definitely worthwhile to invest in and install an intrusion prevention system.