Identity Protection

Your identity is comprised of several individual pieces of information such as your phone number, address, employee number, PINs, credit card numbers, bank account number, driver’s license, passport, student number, ID badges, email and other accounts and credentials.

Identity fraud is the act of stealing enough of your identity information to commit fraud, purchase goods and services, or to commit other crimes in your name. A thief could apply for loans and credit cards, send and receive mail on your behalf, travel as you, change your address, sell your property, or implicate you in criminal activities.

Identity theft can take months, and sometimes years to detect, and it can take just as long to correct the damage it causes. Thieves can store stolen identities for years before selling or using them. As a result, victims often do not know when their identity was compromised.

Skilled thieves will use a variety of methods. They will

• Steal of your personal property such as your wallet, purses, and mail.
• Rummage through your garbage at home or at work.
• Gather information you have posted on the Internet.
• Obtain your financial information by masquerading as an authority figure.
• Watch over your shoulder while you enter your passwords or PINs.
• Trick you into giving information through well-crafted emails or websites.
• Hack into your computer at home or work to harvest your usernames, passwords, contacts as well as any other useful information you have handy.

• Use anti-malware software.
  
• Maintain your computer security.
  
• Keep your computer patches up-to-date.

Learn more about protecting your computer on the Desktop Security page.

Please read the University's policies.