Author: Crown Information Managment

As the turkey is digesting, many people are preparing for another holiday pastime – Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping. This is the time of year where shoppers break out their credit cards and grab all the deals they can. Many people avoid shopping in person and jump online to make their purchases. If online shopping is something you choose to do, it pays to take precautions to prevent cyber thieves. Just like you take preventative actions to store documents securely and properly destroy records, you know that you should take steps to protect your identity online. 

8 Ways to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft While Shopping on Black Friday 

You can take some simple steps to protect your finances while shopping online. Here are eight:

1. Avoid Clicking on Email Links: Your favorite retailer may send you emails with their current deals. Cyber thugs will do the same in what is called a phishing email. Their goal is to capture your information via a false portal accessed by the link they sent you. When you receive an email from your retailer, hover over the links to check the information. If it looks ‘fishy,’ then avoid clicking on it.
2. Do Not Open Attachments: Retailers will not send you their Black Friday deals in an attachment. Hackers will hide malware in it instead and wreak havoc with your information. Keep in mind that delivery companies are not immune from being used by cyber thieves.
3. Stay Away from Pop-Ups and Ads: Those annoying pop-ups may be housing a virus or other types of malware. Not only do they gather your information, but they can infect your device with adware, spyware, and ransomware.
4. Be Aware of E-Skimmers: You are probably aware of card skimmers at ATMs and gas stations, but there is another way to skim your card information. Through e-skimming, a thief installs malicious code on a retailer’s website to gather credit card data. Utilize a third-party payment service such as PayPal, Venmo, or Amazon when possible.
5. Use a Credit Card Instead of a Debit Card: Many credit card companies have “zero liability” policies, which means you do not have to pay for fraudulent purchases. However, a debit card may not have the same protection. For example, you may be liable for the first $50.
6. Use a Secure Network – Not Public Wi-Fi: Many of us enjoy the convenience of public Wi-Fi at our favorite fast-food restaurant. So does a hacker. They can sit a few tables down from you and steal all of your credit card information. Instead of using public Internet access, choose to shop on a private Wi-Fi network or a VPN.
7. Pick Complex Passwords: Most people use the same password for many different sites. Once a cybercriminal gets hold of one, they will use it everywhere they can. Make up new passwords that are complex or use a password manager.
8. Keep an Eye on Your Accounts: Look at your accounts frequently, even daily. Set up alerts on your bank accounts and credit cards to tell you of any suspicious activity.

Thwart Thieves with Document Storage at Crown Information Management

Stay proactive while shopping. Don’t let cyber thieves take off with your credit card information. Remember that you need to be cautious all year long with record storage as well. The team at Crown Information Management stands ready to help you and your company securely store records and destroy documents and hard drives, among other services. Learn more when you contact us today.

For secure, pest-free storage and easy and timely destruction of records, count on a SOC1 Level 2 Report,NAID AAA, and PCI Certified company. Call Crown Information Management at 800-979-9545 or contact us online to learn more about our document storage and shredding services. 

Today’s businesses have more to do than building products and providing services. They also have to keep record security top of mind. These records can be in many forms, including electronic and hard copies. With additional regulations on companies to secure documents, many responded to the local office supply store and picked up a shredder, giving them a false send of security. However, these devices do not always produce the shredding quality needed in some industries. Employees often do not use them and leave files in stacks on the floor around the shredder or on their desks. Utilizing the services of a professional, certified document storage and destruction company provides many Melbourne, FL businesses the peace of mind they seek.

For years, businesses and governments have worked to secure customers’ and taxpayers’ information, and for decades cyber thugs have continued to wage war on electronic storage systems. The COVID-19 pandemic proved that thieves never let a good panic go to waste. Throughout 2020, many people suffered at the hands of people lacking moral integrity who only wanted to take advantage of unsuspecting individuals. In all of this, the good news is that technology and professional storage services have made it possible for businesses to keep their clients’ information secure.  Even so, as a sole proprietor, limited liability company, or corporation in Jacksonville, Florida, it is up to you to ensure all confidential records are properly secured.

Individuals and businesses use storage units every day. These rental spaces offer the convenience of keeping things that you may not need at your location. For example, families may store furniture, holiday decorations, and sports equipment to avoid cluttering their homes. Businesses will tuck away unused desks and chairs along with stacks of documents they have run out of space for in the office. One of the downsides of using offsite storage is the critters that can quickly invade your unit and infiltrate your stuff.  

Medical fraud is big business. With prescription drugs paying big on the street and doctors making prescriptions for certain medicines scarce, thieves need new avenues to get the drugs they want. Your medical identity is the right target and can cause you years of misery, along with poor medical service because of mismatched information from the thief. You know it is imperative to your financial health to keep your financial documents safe. What about your medical identity? If you haven’t heard this term, then keep reading. It is an identity thief’s paradise, and you will pay the price if yours is stolen.

Serving patients and their health is the pinnacle of medical practice. It also includes mounds of paperwork that have to be kept safe and secure per federal regulations. Many medical practices are moving to electronic records management. Keeping your patient’s private information private should be second only to their medical care for those who haven’t made the switch yet. Working with an information record management company places you above the rest in terms of following HIPAA. 

As parents, there is little we wouldn’t do for our children. Their physical and emotional safety is our number one priority. One area parents may not know how to protect proactively is their children’s financial wellbeing. We may not think about it because our kids don’t need credit until they reach adulthood, but cyber thieves are ever-ready to take advantage of this fact. Why not protect your child’s identity now to save them many headaches later? Just like savvy businesses utilize document shredding and storage services to prevent thefts, you can take steps to safeguard your child and even yourself.

Paper and data – both these items are vital to the operations of your business. However, you can quickly become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of files and how to determine the best way to store them while still keeping them secure. Don’t forget the many privacy laws you may have to adhere to in your line of work. How do you keep up with everything and ensure your client’s information and your company’s data stay safe? One answer is to outsource your paper shredding, product destruction, and records management.

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