The National Cyber Awareness System (NCAS), part of the Department of Homeland Security, is America’s first cohesive national cybersecurity system for identifying, analyzing, and prioritizing emerging vulnerabilities and threats.
According to NCAS, identity theft is on the rise during this period of COVID-19. It provides these guidelines for minimizing your risk:
Do business with reputable companies – Before providing any personal or financial information, make sure that you are interacting with a reputable, established company. Some attackers may try to trick you by creating malicious web sites that appear to be legitimate, so you should verify the legitimacy before supplying any information. (See Avoiding Social Engineering for more information.)
Check privacy policies – Take precautions when providing information, and make sure to check published privacy policies to see how a company will use or distribute your information. Many companies allow customers to request that their information not be shared with other companies; you should be able to locate the details in your account literature or by contacting the company directly.
Be aware of your account activity – Pay attention to your statements, and check your credit report yearly. You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report from each of the main credit reporting companies once every twelve months.
Read their full guidelines here: Preventing and Responding to Identity Theft.
Peter Cavicchia II 