The following is a summary of key points made at a public interest meeting of the Ottawa Police Services Board on 6 April 2009 by Staff Sergeant Bill Sullivan and Sergeant Andrew Buchan, Ottawa Police Service.
Please visit the Ottawa Police Service Website for numerous tips for safeguarding your identity. http://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/resources/safety_prevention_tips/internet_safety.cfm
Unprotected WiFi or Wireless Networks are a risk in using the Internet. An unprotected wireless network can be used without the owner’s knowledge, simply by being near the home where the signal is located. In this case the culprits can observe what you are viewing on the Internet, ie: if you’re transmitting unencrypted information for a financial transaction, the culprits have hit the jackpot. An unprotected wireless network can also be used by persons who want to commit a crime without being detected. A too common example is downloading child pornography and because your account is being used the Internet service provider deems you to be the culprit. The default settings for most wireless routers are unsecure and so the best answer is to secure it with an encrypted setting. This scrambles the data being transmitted and makes it unreadable to those piggybacking on your signal. Other ways to prevent this are fairly technical in nature and may require some assistance from the Internet service provider but here some examples:
Ø Change Default Administrator and Network Passwords and
Usernames
At the core of most Wi-Fi home networks is an access point or router. To set up these pieces of equipment, manufacturers provide Web pages that allow owners to enter their network address and account information. These Web tools are protected with a login screen (username and password) so that only the rightful owner can do this. However, for any given piece of equipment, the logins provided are simple and very well-known to hackers on the Internet. Change these settings immediately.
Ø Disable SSID Broadcast
In Wi-Fi networking, the wireless access point or router typically broadcasts the network name (SSID) over the air at regular intervals. This feature was designed for businesses and mobile hotspots where Wi-Fi clients may roam in and out of range. In the home, this roaming feature is unnecessary, and it increases the likelihood someone will try to log in to your home network. Fortunately, most Wi-Fi access points allow the SSID broadcast feature to be disabled by the network administrator.
Ø Position the Router or Access Point Safely
Wi-Fi signals normally reach to the exterior of a home. A small amount of signal leakage outdoors is not a problem, but the further this signal reaches, the easier it is for others to detect and exploit. Wi-Fi signals often reach through neighboring homes and into streets, for example. When installing a wireless home network, the position of the access point or router determines its reach. Try to position these devices near the center of the home rather than near windows to minimize leakage.
Ø Turn off the Network During Extended Periods of Non-Use
The ultimate in wireless security measures, shutting down your network will prevent outside hackers from breaking in. While impractical to turn the devices off and on frequently, at least consider doing so during travel or extended periods offline. Computer disk drives have been known to suffer from power cycle wear-and-tear, but this is a secondary concern for broadband modems and routers.
This term refers to websites such as MySpace and Facebook where people can share information about themselves, photographs, videos or music with friends or anyone else with common interests. The following are useful tips to protect yourself from Identity Theft when using social networking sites:
If your
information is on the web, the whole world can access it. By using the privacy settings you can adjust
your profile to limit what other users can see and even block some users from
accessing any of your information.
Ø How much Information is needed
in your Profile
Identity Theft is all about information, therefore, consider the amount of information you put on your profile.
q When sharing with friends and family it is not necessary to put your address and date of birth. Posting your complete address could create the possibility of having your mail redirected, allowing the culprits to gain access to personal and or banking information.
q Do not post your phone number, SIN number or any other private information.
q Captions for pictures that contain names of family members and / or pets and other personal information may provide clues about your e-mail or social networking passwords – creating a risk for having your e-mail account taken over.
q Be careful about who you let in as “friends”.
The types of Identity Theft are subdivided into four categories:
Ø Financial – your information is used to obtain goods and services
Ø Criminal – your identity is used by someone posing as another when arrested for a crime
Ø Identity Cloning – used to assume another’s identity in daily life - may be used to gain employment, open a business, have access to grant funding, take out a mortgage or loan
Ø
Business – using the business name to obtain credit, or
apply for tax rebates, etc.
Ø
How
to Protect Yourself
q Minimize the amount of information you give
out.
q Understand how your personal information will
be used and whether it will be shared
q Shred and dispose of all personal and
sensitive information before discarding – criminals have been known to go
through people’s garbage looking for this kind of information.
q Monitor your accounts regularly, watch your
billing cycles and check your credit report annually.
q Use passwords on all computers and make sure
the passwords are not easily identifiable such as birth dates, names, addresses
or telephone numbers.
q Wipe hard drives clean prior to disposing or
selling your computer.
Ø
What to Do if you are a
Victim of Identity Theft?
q File a police report
q Start a log of dates, persons contacted and
document what is said exactly
q Call your credit grantors
q File a report with credit reporting agencies
and obtain a copy of your credit reports:
Equifax: 1-800-465-7166
TransUnion 1-877-525-3823
q Contact PhoneBusters – a program operated
jointly by the RCMP, the OPP, and the Competition Bureau of Canada. They receive reports from all over Canada
and will identify trends and ongoing fraud.
With this overview, they can provide up to date information to both
police services and the public in general.
PhoneBusters: 1-888-495-8501
613-236-1222, ext. 5408
613-236-1222 ext. 5640
e-mail: info@ottawapolice.ca
http://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/serving_ottawa/support_units/fraud_main.cfm
Please visit the Ottawa Police Service Website as it contains numerous tips for safeguarding your identity. http://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/resources/safety_prevention_tips/internet_safety.cfm