Norton Identity Theft Protection
Identity Theft Prevention and Protection from Norton
Protect your Identity from Cyber Criminals
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, as many as 16.6 million* Americans experienced identity theft in 2012. Another report from Javelin Strategy & Research** shows that 11.1 million adults in 2009 have fallen victim to identity theft with the financial losses attached to this type of crime being $54 billion as a fraud amount.
While not all identity theft occurs in the online arena, the reality is that many attacks do take place over a computer attached to the Internet. Spyware, bots and rootkits enable cyber criminals to gain access to a computer and the information it stores. For those who buy products online, bank online and more, that personal information might include Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, banking passwords and more.
When identity theft is better explored, it becomes clear that virtually anyone who goes online with their computers can be preyed upon by cyber criminals. The complexity of Internet Security allows this to happen, but it also allows us to protect ourselves well.
Understanding Identity Theft
Identity theft defines a wide variety of crimes whereby the bad guys seek out personal information so they can use it for their own gain. Generally, but not always, the criminals are seeking information that will enable them to assume the identity of another person for a variety of nefarious reasons.
What Cybercriminals Look For
When online identity theft occurs, cybercriminals are generally looking for very specific types of information from a machine and its user. While Social Security numbers are a huge bonus that may enable bad guys to open false accounts and take out lines of credit and more, it's more common that the criminals are scanning machines to find:
- User names and passwords for existing accounts – If they gain access to these for a credit card, for example, they can make unauthorized online charges and have products delivered anywhere in the world.
- Other identifying information – If a cybercriminal manages to pull a user name and password for a bank account, for example, he or she may also be able to get other personal information such as date of birth, address and more. The more pieces of data a cybercriminal is able to collect, the more likely it is they will be able to use that information for personal gain.
- Data they can sell – When cybercriminals are able to access data, they may or may not be the actual bad guys that use it to create false accounts or charge unauthorized purchases. They may instead sell that information to others in the online world. There are many underground operations online where cybercriminals sell credit card numbers, Social Security numbers and more to the highest bidders.
To learn more about how identity theft can happen, check our Types of Identity Theft article.
Potential Online Vulnerabilities
Anyone that takes a computer online to perform business transactions is vulnerable to a variety of threats. They include:
- Phishing – This is a tactic used to dupe people into voluntarily sharing their personal information over false websites or through false forms. Fake banking sites or requests for information, for example, fall into this category. Phishing attempts often come through spam email, but may also appear as links on legitimate websites.
- Spyware, bots and rootkits – These are harmful programs that are often introduced onto computers via email attachments and program downloads. They are designed to either enable a cybercriminal to take over use of a computer or to enable a key logging program to capture user names and passwords as they are entered on a machine.
Online identity theft is a large and growing criminal operation. Computer users who have been attacked, need to let law enforcement and banking officials know about it. A report should be filed with local policing authorities and the Federal Trade Commission. It is also vital to close compromised accounts and take other measures to protect a person's good name. Our Identity Theft Prevention page tells more about how to prevent ID theft trouble.
Preventing Identity Theft
Online identity theft protections are available. Norton offers two distinct programs to help its users protect against identity theft and a variety of other potentially harmful online attacks. Norton 360 is a good choice for anyone that wants to safeguard their online experiences. In addition, LifeLock covers ID theft from various different aspects as well.
About Norton 360
Norton 360 provides comprehensive coverage against a variety of potential attacks. The program's key technologies that make it worth the buy include:
- Antivirus, antispyware, antispam and antiphishing
- Norton Web Safe
- Identity Protection
- Reputation Service
With its antiviral and identity protection features, along with automatic update ability, Norton 360 enables its users to essentially lock their machines from prying eyes. However, the well rounded holistic coverage starts with Norton 360 combined with LifeLock.
A Look at Norton 360 with LifeLock
Norton 360 with LifeLock provides all the critical protections of Internet Security, but does go a few steps beyond. In addition to offering online identity protection, it also provides a PC backup feature and up to 500GB of online backup space. When a more comprehensive package that goes beyond viral and identity protection is desired, this is a great choice.
Locking out the bad guys online should be a big concern for anyone that takes their computer on the Internet. All editions of Norton 360 provide owners with the safeguards they need to work online with peace of mind. To learn more, here is the Norton 360 comparison.
* Publications for Identity Theft
**Number of identity theft cases more than doubled in 2020 from 2019, FTC report finds