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“WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

IDENTITY THEFT AS A SMALL BUSINESS

OWNER”

Identity theft is coming a more and more common form of crime in our digital age, where it is so easy to steal someone else’s credentials and effectively “become” them.

As a small business owner, you need to have at least a passable amount of knowledge on this topic; not only to help yourself, but also to keep your business and your customers safe!

Next, we will explain a few things that every small business owner should know about identity theft.

INTRODUCTION

Your credit card number isn’t required to have your identity stolen. In fact, one can simply steal sensitive bank information, even if it doesn’t include your credit card number, and still have enough data to assume your identity.

ATMs are another avenue of attack that some hackers can use. With the right technology, hackers can obtain all information entered into an ATM—your credit card or account number and PIN number is enough, then it is too late.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT IDENTITY THEFT

There are many scammers that might try to trick you by setting up phony websites. These scammers create seemingly legitimate websites and prey on victims that mistake their websites for that of their real bank or credit union.

This is important to know as a user, but also something that you should remain vigilant of as a small business owner who likely has a website for their business. Don’t let your customers get fooled!

HOW TO REDUCE STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE

Operate your business with a separate tax identifaction number (TIN) from your own. In this way, your business’s taxes and yours will be separated. Not only is this a best practice, but it protects both entities by keeping them separate—if they are linked, both will become compromised if either one is attacked.

Take great care of your business’s sensitive documents, and consider getting all of your statements electronically, as they are more difficult to steal.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS

Keep a constant eye on your business’s bank accounts and sensitive accounts so that you’ll know the instant something goes wrong.

Lastly, avoid having one “master user” or aggregated set of credentials that contain the vast majority of your business’s sensitive information. While this may be convenient, your business will be devastated if this account becomes hacked.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS