Ten Things for Technology Safety that Are on My New Year's Resolution List

If you use a lot of technology in your everyday life, it would make sense to think about things that are important to your security. I am making it a priority this year to place technology issues, especially security, on the top of my list.

Every day I hear about cyber attacks, cyber war, and hackers. Many people take their technology for granted. The world is ever changing and so is technology. Along with these changes comes opportunity for crimes to be committed. I certainly don't want to be a victim, and I'm sure you don't either. Here are 10 technology security issues that I'm putting on my New Year's Resolution list:

1. Make sure I have good antivirus protection for my computers and mobile devices

Everyone should already be using antivirus protection. If you have a cell phone that connects to the internet, you should also have antivirus and malware protection for your cell phone. There could be malware hiding in applications that you download for your phone. With the development of iPhones and Android phones, comes the possibility of viruses and malware. Unfortunate, but true. You've got to think of your safety no matter where you go. It's not just your computer that needs protection, but so does your phone. I'm going to make sure that I have good security in place.

2. Have a reliable back up in place

Who doesn't have important information stored on their computer or phone. Hard drives crash and cell phones get lost. If you have good reliable backups, you will be back in operation quickly. There are many applications that do a reliable job for you. I'm going to make sure to store important information in more than one location. If you store everything at home or your office where your computer is and there is a fire, your backup won't do you much good if it's destroyed along with your computer. Offsite backup is essential.

3. Set up alerts for online banking transactions for bank accounts

Most banks will let you set up alerts on your accounts that notify you when there is a transaction that is processed through your bank card or online. Banking security is getting more and more difficult. I was talking with some Bank of America employees and they indicated that it is a serious problem. These are employees that are in the online fraud division of the bank.

I used to get a little miffed when banks made a transaction difficult. I don't any more. I know how important it is to keep your online banking, or any banking for that matter, secure.

4. Check security on my wireless router

Sometimes people ignore the security on wireless routers. I don't ignore any security features on a device. If they are included, than it must have been for a good reason. If you don't put security on your wireless router, anyone can use your internet service. Of course, they would have to be within range.

5. Download all of my bank statements to my computer, and keep them backed up

It's good to keep copies of your account balances and transactions some place other than your bank. Banks and other companies encourage people to go paperless. They say it's more secure to receive your bank statements online. Heaven forbid that a natural disaster or some cyber attack should destroy those records. How would you ever prove what's in your account? It's a smart move to make sure that you have those records in your possession. Even if it's unlikely that those records can be destroyed, you'll have peace of mind knowing that you have copies somewhere.

6. Download all of my statements for my online brokerage account

The same thing goes for my brokerage accounts as with bank accounts. Make sure you keep copies of all transactions and statements. This also serves a twofold purpose. Brokerage account information might also be needed for the IRS. I like to have as much information as possible at my finger tips. It just makes life easier.

7. Keep track of all my old telephone numbers and addresses

You might think this is kind of an odd thing to keep track of, and if your young it's not quite so important. Financial institutions and credit reporting agencies like to verify information, and make sure that who they are doing business with is really you. One way they do that is look back into credit information, and ask questions about information that only you would know. They might ask if you've ever lived it this city or that city. Did you ever have such and such a phone number. It can really tax your memory. If you don't remember the right information, you might be out of luck.

8. Check my credit report for any unauthorized activity or errors

This isn't something new. Everyone should check their credit report at least every six months. You can easily do this online. Make sure that the site you use for your credit report is legitimate. You are allowed one free credit report per year from each reporting agency. If you're married you and your spouse can have three each. Be sure to keep track of the agencies you request your reports from and every couple of months run a report. Through the years I have been contacted by various employers and companies that I have done business with about breaches of security. This is kind of scary to know that your information might be out there somewhere. In those cases I was given free access to my credit reports to watch for any illegal activity. Keep an eye on your credit to make sure that someone is not using your identity.

9. Learn the security features of my cell phone and use them

I'm going to make sure that I know what security features are on my cell phone, if any. Newer phones are coming with more security features. If you don't know what the security features are on your phone you need to find out. There are many applications that you can download to enhance your security.

10. Change passwords
This is an easy thing to do. Periodically change the passwords on your accounts. One thing you don't want is someone to get into your important information so that they can steal you money or your identity.

I found it interesting and revealing that one of the BAC online fraud employees didn't use online banking. Makes me pause to think that maybe we are more vulnerable to theft by using technology so freely. When you hear about how terrorists may be planning disruption of our cyber lives, you wonder what kind of havoc can they really cause.