Protect Your Identity

Imagine being notified that your personal information has been leaked on the Web by your university -- only to find out that your social security number, disability info and grades have been available to browsers for over a year! This past November, University of Hawaii students faced a significant information breach, in which nearly 40,000 students (current and graduated) had personal information posted for unauthorized use.

As college students building the foundations for a future career, it is necessary to be aware of how to protect ourselves so as not to become victims of online identity theft. And because 18- to 24-year-olds typically take the longest period of time to realize they have been victims of fraud, we lay down some tips to stay aware and, most important, protected:

• Keep private documents tucked away. Living in a communal space means high traffic, including friends of friends, repairmen and so forth. Any documents with personal information should be kept tucked away in a discreet place. Also, do not throw away private documents in the trash without first shredding the papers.

• Never lend your debit/credit card to anyone. And, yes, this includes your roommate. Avoid giving out unnecessary credit-card information on the Web or over the phone. Keep your PIN number safely guarded -- for your eyes only.

• Check a website’s legitimacy before completing online purchases. Think a deal is too good to be true? It probably is. Before ordering clothing, school supplies or whatever else via the Internet, refer to the Better Business Bureau, BBB.org, to ensure the website you’re ordering from is considered secure and legitimate.

• Check your bank statements once a week. Monitoring your online bank statements regularly helps you spot unusual activity. Don’t wait for your bank to contact you regarding abnormal spending patterns -- according to Javelin Strategy and Research’s 2009 study regarding identity fraud, nearly 43 percent of those who reported identity theft discovered it themselves by regularly self-monitoring their finances. The quicker you notice an inconsistency, the sooner you can secure the information breach.

• Install Antimalware software. Turns out Millennials are doing something right! Despite our low response time, 18- to 24-year-olds are the most proactive in terms of installing privacy protection software. If you have yet to install privacy protection and antivirus software, check out your university’s computer store for programs like McAfee, which offers a handful of different software options ranging from $20 to $110. You can also opt to pay monthly for protection software, such as LifeLock, which charges $13.50 per month for its services. And while some of these prices might seem steep, keep in mind just how valuable your personal information is.

• Get creative with passwords. Changing passwords regularly and not using the same password for all accounts is crucial when trying to protect your emails, bank account and so forth. Avoid using your mother’s maiden name, pet names and your birthday as passwords, as they are easy for determined hackers to guess.