The everyday objects that can lead to identity theft

You wouldn’t think wireless printers could lead to a breach of your personal data.

But this happens all the time.

What about the bin sitting outside your office?

Is it a treasure trove for an identity thief walking the streets at night?

Many everyday objects can lead to identity theft.

They often get overlooked because people focus on their computers and cloud accounts.

Here are five common things criminals can use to steal your sensitive information.

• Old Smart Phones
• Wireless Printers
• USB Sticks
• Old Hard Drives
• Trash Can

Old Smart Phones

People replace their smartphones about every two and a half years. That’s a lot of old phones laying around containing personal data.

Just think of all the information our mobile phones hold. We have synced connections with cloud services. Phones also hold banking apps, business apps, and personal health apps. These are all nicely stored on one small device.

As chip technology has advanced, smartphones have been able to hold more “stuff.” This means documents and spreadsheets can now be easily stored on them. Along with reams of photos and videos.

A cyber criminal could easily strike data theft gold by finding an old smartphone. Make sure that you properly clean any old phones by erasing all data. You should also dispose of them properly. You shouldn’t just throw electronics away like normal rubbish.

Wireless Printers

Most printers are wireless these days. This means they are part of your work network. Printing from another room is convenient. But the fact that your printer connects to the internet can leave your data at risk.

Printers can store sensitive documents, such as tax paperwork or contracts. Most people don't think about printers when putting data security protections in place. This leaves them open to hacking.

When this happens, a hacker can get data from the printer. They could also leverage it to breach other devices on the same network.

Protect printers by ensuring you keep their firmware updated. Always install updates as soon as possible. You should also turn it off when you don’t need it. When it’s off it’s not accessible by a hacker.

USB Sticks

Did you ever run across a USB stick laying around? Perhaps you thought you scored a free removable storage device. Or you are a good Samaritan and want to try to return it to the rightful owner. But first, you need to see what’s on it to find them.

You should never plug a USB device of unknown origin into your computer. This is an old trick in the hacker’s book. They plant malware on these sticks and then leave them around as bait. As soon as you plug it into your device, it can infect it.

Old Hard Drives

When you are disposing of an old computer or old removable drive, make sure it’s clean. Just deleting your files isn’t enough. Computer hard drives can have other personal data stored in system and program files.

Plus, if you’re still logged into a browser, a lot of your personal data could be at risk. Browsers store passwords, credit cards, visit history, and more.

It’s best to get help from an IT professional to properly erase your computer drive. This will make it safe for disposal, donation, or reuse.

Rubbish bin

Identity theft criminals aren’t only online. Be careful what you throw out in your trash.

It’s not unusual for rubbish to enable identity theft. It can include pre-approved credit card offers that you considered “junk mail.” Your trash can also hold voided checks, old bank statements, and insurance paperwork. Any of these items could have the information thieves need to commit fraud or pose as you.

A shredder can be your best friend in this case. You should shred any documents that contain personal information. Do this before you throw them out. This extra step could save you from a costly incident.

Schedule a Security Audit and see where changes could be made to make your business more secure.

Give us a call today and schedule an IT security audit. You’ll be glad you did.