Craig Sorum chases identity thieves as part of his gig as supervisory agent overseeing the FBI's and Secret Service's Minnesota Cyber Crimes Task Force.

So how does he protect his identity? With several low-tech practices.

  • He doesn't carry "a fistful of cards." He also has a credit card with a low limit devoted to online purchases.
  • He protects his computer with spyware, anti-virus software and always downloads the latest Windows updates to keep security up to date.
  • Any sensitive material is saved on an encrypted hard drive or on a thumb drive stored away from the computer, which is turned off when not in use.
  • He doesn't leave his mail outside for days on end.
  • He bought a good shredder that turns his paper into confetti, says the certified public accountant by training. "I've worked cases where we have glued together those pieces for the bad guys and found the smoking gun letter and the bad guys do the same thing to get some intelligence on you.... Anything that has my name and Visa on it, I want to shred it."
  • He also steers clear of social networking. "People need to be conscious about all of the intelligence people can get on you. Social networking is still a giveaway." = If you are online, make sure you don't reveal anything that you also use as a password or security question. "Guess what's on your Facebook? Your darn dog." Make sure your privacy settings are in order too.
  • Finally, if he writes his passwords down, which he doesn't like to do, he certainly never lists what accounts they are for. He also doesn't use the same password for sensitive accounts. He admits he needs to get better at switching his passwords from time-to-time.

How about you? What measures do you take to safeguard your identity?