Protect Yourself Online

You do more than ever from the convenience and privacy of your own home with a Web browser and a network connection. Yet, each Web site requires you to create a new online account and choose a username and password. Should you use the same combination or mix it up? How secure is a password? How do you know this site is for real? What you really want to know is: How can I stay safe online?

The padlock icon and https:// in the browser show that the site is secured with an SSL Certificate and your information will be encrypted during transmission. This is the minimum level of security you should expect for any site that requires you to send information.

Before you log-in or create an account, look for ways to authenticate the true owner of the Web site. A trust mark such as the VeriSign Secured® Seal or a green address bar in Internet Explorer 7 shows that the site owner has been validated by a third party. Click the seal or the address bar to view the Web site authentication.

Username and password, security questions, and images, are all something you know. Keeping track of these often makes the log-in process more complicated and harder to remember. With OpenID you register your username and password on a Web site you trust and use frequently, then other Web sites rely on that username and password when you log-in.

The more time and personal information you've invested in creating your online profile, the more valuable the content is. A growing number of businesses are adding something you have as a second level of protection at log-in, especially for high value transactions. These portable, security credentials come in many forms: a credit-card type form, a token, a USB drive, even your mobile phone. The device generates a one-time password that you enter when required. One user of the VeriSign Identity Protection Credential explained: "I love it I'm going to make my password less complex because I'll always carry my security key."

Whether you are making a purchase online, signing up for a new online account, or joining a community for fun, think twice about the information you share. Data such as your Social Security number and bank routing number should not be collected online. Your username and password is your first credential and should never be shared. By using community sites that require two-factor authentication, you know that the people you are communicating with have gone through at least one higher level of identity authentication. Finally, demand that the sites you do business with provide you with proper security to protect their most valuable asset - you, the customer.