The Internet, in particular, means for us boundless opportunities in life and business - but also lots of dangers unheard of just a decade ago. We should be aware of these dangers if we want to use huge potential of Internet and to avoid hazards it brings us.

Warning: There are Websites You'd Better Not Visit

Phishing websites

Thanks to authors of numerous articles on this topic, "classic" phishing technique is relatively well known. This scam involves setting bogus websites and luring people to visit them, as a rule, by links in emails. Phishing website is disguised to look like a legitimate one -- of a bank or a credit card company, and users are invited to provide their identifying information. Sites of this kind are used solely to steal users' passwords, PIN numbers, SSNs and other confidential information.

At first phishing consisted only of a social engineering scam in which phishers spammed consumer e-mail accounts with letters ostensibly from banks. The more people got aware of scam, less spelling mistakes these messages contained, and more these fraudulent websites resembled legitimate ones. Phishers are getting smarter. They eagerly learn; there is enough money involved here to turn criminals into earnest students.

Keyloggers and Trojans

Since about November 2004 there has been a lot of publications of a scheme which at first was seen as a new kind of phishing. This technique includes contaminating a PC with a Trojan horse program. The problem is that this Trojan contains a keylogger which lurks at background until user of infected PC visits one of specified websites. Then keylogger comes to life to do what it was created for -- to steal information.

It seems that this technique is actually a separate scam aimed at stealing personal information and such attacks are on rise. Security vendor Symantec warns about commercialisation of malware -- cybercriminals prefer cash to fun, so various kinds of information-stealing software are used more actively.

Fraudulent websites are on rise

Websense Security Labs -- a well-known authority in information security -- noticed a dramatic rise in number of fraudulent websites as far back as in second half of 2004. These sites pose as ones for e-commerce; they encourage users to apply for a reward or purchase something, of course never delivering product or paying money. The most popular areas for such fraud are online pharmacies, lottery scams, and loan / mortgage sites. Experts predict there will be more fake merchants in future and their scams will become more sophisticated.

A Hybrid Scam

In April Panda Software warned Internet users of a new particularly brazen scam aimed at stealing confidential information. The technique used here looks like a hybrid between phishing and a fraudulent website. Panda Software identified several websites offering cheap airline tickets which in fact weren't selling anything; aim was to cheat users out of credit card details.

So you must do everything in your power to prevent Identity Theft. Actually, if you follow some simple 'common sense' procedures - you can reduce your risk significantly. Follow these simple steps and you may prevent yourself from becoming a victim of Identity Theft.

Please keep in mind, any computer connected to Internet can be hacked! The only way to be 100% safe from Identity Theft is to not use a computer or Internet. Even then, many banking institutions and government agencies may have your vital information in their hands and possibly online - so no one is really safe!

Despite this grime prospect, there are many things you can personally do to protect yourself from Identity Theft. Simple safeguards that can stop would-be thieves in their tracks and make it difficult for anyone to misuse your well earned good name and reputation.

Try these relatively simple steps:

1. If you do a lot of surfing on web - set your own security standards! Most browsers will let you set security level of your connections. If you're using Internet Explorer, click on Tools in task bar, go to Internet Options and set your level of security. Try to set this to as high a standard as you can.

2. Place a firewall on your computer or network. A firewall is a system or gateway that prevents unauthorized access to your computer or private network. It is usually first line of defense in protecting your private information or data. A good firewall will help protect you from malicious attacks of spyware, adware, malware, worms, trojans, and hackers. There is no reason not to have a firewall in place, you can download a free firewall from www.zonealarm.com for your personal use.