Personal Profitability
Personal finance for hustlers and entrepreneurs
I have written about LastPass a few times before. LastPass is a password protection tool that you can use to secure your online life. They recently added a new free credit monitor feature that you can use to make sure you know about any unwanted surprises on your credit report.
If you have an account with Zappos, the popular online shoe and clothing retailer, you were one of 24 million people exposed in last week’s hacker attack on the site. If you were a victim, it is important for you to take steps to protect yourself right away. If you were not, this should act as a reminder to stay vigilant and work to protect yourself against identity theft online.
I recently went through a very shocking moment when I realized I could not trust someone that I thought was one of my closest friends. I will share more about that next week, but it got me thinking. You really can’t trust anyone with your account information and passwords.
Unless you have a joint account, there is almost no reason for anyone other than you to have your account information. Account numbers, routing numbers, credit card numbers, and other financial account information should be kept private.
In the event that you do have a shared account, keep tabs on it and monitor for suspicious and unexpected activity.
Outside of your employer and someone you can trust in an emergency (ie spouse, parent), keep this information private at all costs. Do not give your account information so someone can run an errand for you. Do not give your information in case someone needs it. Just keep it secure and you have nothing to worry about.
We have all read stories about someone’s ex breaking into their email or Facebook account. Far worse than your buddy finding your computer unlocked when you go to the other room and writing “I’m Gay” on your Facebook wall, giving someone unmonitored access to your online life is a big mistake.
Want evidence? Just search for breakup horror stories involving Facebook and Gmail online. You will find plenty of stories.
To ensure my accounts are all secure, I don’t even know my own passwords except for my Google and LastPass account. LastPass can generate randomized passwords for every site you use. It has a Chrome, Firefox, IE (do people still use IE?), and Safari plugin that will auto-populate your passwords for you.
Just remembering two passwords is easier and will keep you safe. No one is going to guess or brute force my randomized 16 character alpha number passwords.
Stone Cold Steve Austin said it best. My best friend growing up is no longer my best friend. My girlfriend of four and a half years is no longer my girlfriend. Fortunately there was no messy falling out or breakup, so I have always been safe, but you never know.
And that’s the bottom line ‘cause Eric said so.
Image by vagawi .
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