Tips for safe tax preparation

Consumers are flocking to tax preparation Web sites. Unfortunately, so are cyber thieves who target the social security numbers, names of bank accounts and other valuable information being transmitted online.

DigitalPersona is offering consumers the following tips for staying safe online this tax season:

• Use strong, unique passwords for all your online accounts. Having a single password for multiple sites increases your risk of identity theft. Not sure how secure your passwords are? At-a-glance password rating systems will let you know in moments whether you are truly protected
• Safely keep track of passwords, especially those that aren’t used very often. Don’t write them down on “sticky notes” or leave them in an unprotected file on your computer. Today’s cyber thieves specifically search files and the places where browsers store “remembered” passwords
• Ensure that only you can use your passwords by tying them to your fingerprint. Fingerprint readers are already available on over 30 percent of laptops and can be easily added to any PC
• Protect against phishing attacks hidden behind false tax preparation or bank Web pages. Look for hacker proof or secured symbols on the Web site before logging on
• Encrypt important personal files, such as tax returns or other sensitive documents, to safeguard against hacking attempts
• Keep all anti-virus, malware, and other computer security products up to date to remain on top of the latest Trojan, keyloggers and other threats
• Secure yourself, not just your PC. Seek out software that specifically protects you when your personal identity information is handed to authorized Web sites.