Information security has been a hot topic for years, yet fraudsters continually find new ways to steal our money, security and even our identities.

Simply covering the basics of protecting yourself and your business can go a long way in the fight against fraud.

Protect Yourself

• Clean out your wallet/purse regularly. Don’t carry excess identification, cards, and receipts.  Ask, “If my wallet were stolen, what would the criminal get?”
• Before you give any personal information, find out how it is being used and if it will be shared with others.
• Never give credit card, bank account or social security numbers over the phone, especially to people you don’t know.  Always know who you are doing business with.
• Protect your home computer with updated anti-virus software and use a secure browser when shopping on the web.
• Always check your credit report, credit card bills, utility bills, and bank statements for unauthorized transactions.  Now is a great time to sign up for tools and resources that help protect your identity.
• Effectively dispose of paper records by shredding.

Protect Your Business

• Know what personal information you have in your files and on your computers.
• Scale down – keep only what you need for your business.
• Protect sensitive information.
• Properly dispose of what you no longer need.
• Develop and update a plan for responding to security incidents.

For information and podcasts about protecting your identity or your business, visit www.ubt.com or www.ftc.gov.