For the holidays and beyond, it's important for you to ensure that your home is as secure as it can be. If you're looking for a place to start, here is a list of practical tips to make your offline and online world a safer place.
Safety Tips for Your Home
Plan for fire emergencies. It's important for you to prepare an escape plan in case of fire or other emergencies. Learn how to create an effective emergency home plan from the FEMA website.
Don't tip off a burglar. A vacant home is easier prey for burglars. If you're planning to be away for the holidays or going on vacation, make sure you have someone checking your house ever so often. Burglars can identify vacant houses with clues like a pile of unopened mail, or lights turned on during the day.
Training for your family. Everyone in your family should know how to shut off the gas, water and electricity in your home. You should also consider taking a CPR or first-aid course. The Red Cross offers these kinds of courses across the country.
Keep your identity to yourself. Unfortunately, instances of ID theft are on the rise. Make sure that you're protecting your personal information. The Better Business Bureau has a host of tips to protect consumers and businesses from ID theft.
Your Computer Should Be Safe Too
Fall back on your back-ups. If you have critical information on your computer, make sure that you save your records to a CD-ROM or a disk and store them in a remote location. Try and make fresh back-ups at least every six months.
Breathe life into your anti-virus software. The world of viruses is always changing, so make sure that your anti-virus software is up-to-date. Learn more about the latest virus challenges and responses here.
Is someone spying on your computer? "Spyware" are software programs that track how you use the Internet. Some of these programs are harmful and can get installed on your PC without you even knowing it. Learn more about spyware and download free spyware protectors here.
No phishing allowed. Phishing is an especially insidious form of ID theft online. It's when you receive an email that seems to be from your bank or another trusted source asking you to "confirm" your personal information like your login, password or SSN. Phishing can potentially be disastrous because the thief is virtually invisible. Learn more about phishing here.
