7 Facts Identity Thieves Hope You Don’t Know About Your Computer

What your computer does behind the scenes can leave you at risk for identity theft.

Below is a list of the 7 things your Windows computer does behind the scenes that identity thieves may take advantage of to steal your data if you don’t know how to protect yourself…

• It only hides, but doesn’t really erase the data from the files you’ve deleted or emptied from the recycle bin. These files can easily be recovered by scanning your unused free space with widely available data recovery software.
• It stores sensitive user-specific information such as user names and passwords used to access secure web pages in files called ‘cookies’. The private data cookies may store can represent a security risk.
• It downloads and stores files from every website you’ve visited in its cache (temporary Internet files folder), including pictures, videos, audio, scripts, mp3s, and other data.
• It stores a record of every web site you’ve previously visited in a locked hidden file called ‘index.dat’, viewable by hitting ‘Ctrl-H’ from within Internet Explorer.
• It saves a list of all URL’s you’ve previously typed in the address bar of Internet Explorer.
• It tracks every document you’ve recently opened on your computer, such as Word, Excel, Notepad, and other documents or files.
• It stores every command previously typed into the ‘Start/Run…’ control. This list can provide information about recently run programs, recently browsed folders, or recently visited web sites.

Loaning, selling, or donating your computer without properly destroying the data in these sensitive areas first is an invitation to identity theft, and allows identity thieves to easily access your personal information.

So how can you protect yourself from identity thieves?

The best way to protect your privacy is to use a professional digital file shredder such as AceErase File Shredder Pro to permanently overwrite and shred any sensitive files or data on your computer before deleting them.

AceErase also provides a Shred Your Tracks utility which not only deletes, but shreds the vulnerable areas of your computer listed above. It shreds the files in your recycle bin, shreds cookies, shreds the temporary Internet files cache, shreds the ‘index.dat’ files, previously typed URL’s, recently opened documents list, start/run history list, and much more.

So, protect your privacy by using AceErase® Pro, a Secure File Shredder & History Eraser to Delete Your PC Activity & Internet History. Order your copy today or download the free trial.