In a nutshell – Absolutely!
In 2020, more people are working, playing, and shopping online. When an increasing number of people congregate on the internet, the goons are going to make their presence known!
Very likely you are doing more than ever before and without knowing it, perhaps you have put your personal private information at a higher risk.
You need to address this and make the changes necessary to build an impenetrable wall around your precious personal info.
As you consider the prospects of working online, please put safety and security right at the top of your priority list. Serious harm has happened to unsuspecting victims who were preyed upon by unscrupulous people in the online space.
In the “real” world, you can lock your valuables in a heavy-duty, metal safe with titanium locks and keys or combination codes that even you have a hard time remembering. In the “virtual” internet world, the digital personal information you share can be stolen and be used against you many times without your knowledge.
Your “valuables” include personal information like your full name, your family members’ identities, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, user logon identities and codes, passwords, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, social security and governmental ID numbers, financial data.
Identity theft is the No. 1 crime in the US as well as the fastest growing crime in the US. Victims average about $6,400 in losses before they even knew about the theft, and 41% of those who did not have ID theft protection in place are still dealing with the issue more than two years after discovering it!
An ominous fact: Every 3 seconds, someone’s identity is stolen! This means thousands of people, every day, are feeling the frustration of the exposure of their private information being used and abused in the hands of someone else… not just a robber in the neighborhood. A den of thieves in Nigeria, hackers in China, or hoodlums in Lower Slobovia!
Becoming a victim of identity theft is a frightening, frustrating experience. It can happen to anyone at any time. Every day you work to build an online business, you expose your information to fraud, theft, abuse, and irreparable damage. Please take the necessary precautions for your future online business. You’ll thank me and thank yourself if you do!
Online marketers need to implement identity protection even more carefully than the average online person. Why? Because we are engaged in practices which make us even more susceptible!
Here are some reasons you need to be very careful and work hard to protect your “virtual family jewels.”
- Online marketers visit many marketing sites.
When your begin working online, you could be looking for free advertising. In this case you’ll probably visit “Free Marketing Sites”. I’m all for free marketing, but it has inherent risks.
Some sites may be dangerous because they phish for your personal information or may infect your computer with “malware” (short for malicious software) – viruses, worms, spyware, Trojan horses, ransomware, adware, or scareware. Sound scary? They are. Look up the definitions tonight for your bedtime reading. Leave the light on
As another old proverb says, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Your free advertising may not cost money, but it may cost you an inordinate amount of time. You visit many sites, many times. You receive tons of email and earn credits reading those emails or visiting those sites.
- Online marketers build trust and share personally online.
You want your prospects to be able to contact you. You give out your email, Skype, hangout, or other information so people can reach you, and trust you. You share your social media contacts with prospects so they see you’re a real person who is engaged in a real online business. All this is necessary, but unfortunately… hazardous!
- Online marketers send and receive payments on the internet.
Your transactions may be with businesses not yet verified. You buy marketing tools or send money to one of your affiliates. You might use your credit card to buy traffic to your website and this service turns out to be unreliable and steals your card info!
- Online marketers are uniquely vulnerable to fraud. For the same reason you put yourself out there to build trust, you’re also at risk to those who would use your openness, honesty, and trust against you. Caution is needed when you purchase products from unsecure websites, unknown marketers, and unreliable sources.
The best time to implement security protocols is now… when you first start to work online. To wait is to expose your efforts, resources, programs, and campaigns to risk and potentially have them undermined, compromised or destroyed.
My quick-read e-book, “How to Stay Safe Online” has 10 tips to help you improve your security and safety.
