Affinion Security Center recently presented a list of handy security protection tips for a very vulnerable group: college students between the ages of 18 to 24. According to Javelin Research and Strategy, this particular demographic are the most vulnerable to identity theft.

Identity thieves like to target college students because college students generally have good credit, which makes it easy to take out loans in the students’ name. College students also tend to be inexperienced in security; they simply do not realize how much information can be stolen through a social security number. Unfortunately, that valuable number is listed on a large number of documents, including dormitory ID cards, library cards, report cards, and transcripts. To make matters worse, computer hackers have targeted university mainframes to get at this information.
“Our goal is to help educate consumers and make it more difficult for identity thieves to succeed,” said Tom Rusin, CEO and President of Affinion Security Center. “While our services can help students protect themselves through the detection and resolution of identity thefts, there are some simple steps that students can take to minimize their risk.”

Here are six handy tips by Affinion for college students to guard their identity:
1. Get a shredder: A shredder can ensure the multitude of valuable papers cannot be stolen. These papers can include credit card offers, bills, and student transcripts.
2. Start up a credit card monitoring service: A monitoring service such as Affinion Security Center can be your first line of defense against identity theft.
3. Create stronger passwords: Always use passwords that include numbers and capital letters, and if possible, upper and lower case characters.
4. Never, ever share passwords: No matter how close your friend may be, do not share your password with him or her. It only creates another vulnerability.
5. Keep your computer secure: Make sure your computer is locked up with a password, and has the latest anti-virus software. Enable all security features on your computer.
6. Be aware of scams: Keep a lookout for phishing scam or any online entity asking for personal information.

To get more security tips, visit the Affinion Security System or follow Affinion on Twitter.

About Affinion Security Center
Affinion Security Center is a global leader in providing identity protection and data security solutions to corporations and individuals. For over 35 years Affinion Security Center has been powering many of the world’s leading personal data protection and breach resolution solutions offered by local, national and multi-national enterprises in the financial, retail and travel industries. Affinion is headed by CEO Nathaniel Lipman. Affinion is the parent company of Trilegiant, which also offers customer loyalty and security solutions.