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Strategies from the Field to Prevent Data Breaches Part 1

Steven Greenwald — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:10:53 +0000

Dan Blum, Senior Vice President and Principal Analyst for the Burton Group follows on a previous interview with security vibes to discuss how to prevent data breaches. For Dan’s First Security Vibes Interview on Data Breaches www.youtube.com For Part 2 of this interview use the link below. tinyurl.com Dan offers three recommendations. Maintain baseline security User awareness, endpoint protection, network protection, laptop encryption – baseline is essentially tactical and you have to do them. Create an architecture to give a better long term posture against data breaches such as using terminal services. Examine some of your internal business practices that can make you more vulnerable. For example, when deploying strong authentication what do you use to verify the user should they lost the logon device. Most companies switch back to known personal data such as national insurance or social security number to verify the user. Much of this information is freely available in government databases. Instead you could use claims that separate identity attributes and authorisation to reduce dependency on the big secrets. Now if for example a database containing personal id information is breached, it is not such a big threat to identity theft as the information in these databases are not used to confirm a user’s identity. We hope you find the contents of this videocast helpful. Please do leave comments or ratings to let us know if you would like more of the same. warmest wishes Ben Chai Chief Editor www.securityvibes.com

Do I need to buy identity theft software for my computer?

Steven Greenwald — Sun, 16 May 2010 13:11:31 +0000

What is best brand out there?

The Best Way To Prevent Identity Theft

Steven Greenwald — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 06:33:19 +0000

Because everyone is at risk of becoming a victim of identity theft, we should all have identity theft protection. Here is a simple guide on how to reduce or minimize if not totally preventing the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft.

The first thing to remember as an identity theft protection tip, is to be cautious on giving out personal information or personal data to others, unless there is a reason to trust the person who will receive these information or data.

Identity theft can happen even at home so here are do’s and don’ts when it comes to giving personal information when at home:

1. Be watchful when giving unnecessary personal information especially on the phone. For example your credit card company is asking for your mother’s maiden name to verify your identity, don’t. Credit card companies already know these kinds of information, so it is very unlikely for them to ask you, the only reason of such a call is to acquire that information for that person’s personal benefit.

2. Also, be watchful with phone calls from someone you don’t know that offers you prizes, but asks you for personal information like Social Security Number, credit card number, or mother’s maiden name. Instead of answering these questions on the phone, ask them to send a written application form.

3. If they won’t send such forms, you should just hang up. And if they did send an application form, review the form carefully and before mailing it check the company or institutions reputation with the Better Business Bureau.

Being at home is already a risk of becoming an identity theft victim, and so much more when on travel. Here is also a to-do and not to-do list when it comes to giving personal information when on travel:

1. When you are away from home and on travel, you should have your mail held at your local post office, or ask someone you know and trust well to collect and hold your mail while you’re away.

2. And if there is a need to call someone and pass personal information while on travel, do it in a place where there is less people around.

Aside from being cautious when giving personal information, the next thing to remember as an identity theft protection tip, is to check financial information regularly. And when checking these financial records you should be careful in looking for what should be there and what shouldn’t be. Always keep a record of your transaction slips.

There should be monthly statements that list transactions for the reporting period for those people with bank or credit accounts. If there are no monthly statements, it is advisable for you to contact the financial institution or credit card company immediately.

And though these are effective identity theft protection tips, becoming a victim of identity theft is still possible. So as an advice, be vigilant; be very vigilant.

Identity Theft: Skimming You Blind

Steven Greenwald — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:12:34 +0000

In a recent study done by Unisys Security Index, sixty six percent of those surveyed stated that they feared somewhere along the way they would become victims of identity theft. That’s not really surprising since it ranks as the number one consumer complaint for the eighth year in a row. Identity theft however came in a close second behind fear of debit card misuse. In a way they are connected by a form of identity fraud known as skimming. When you were a little younger, skimming probably meant throwing rocks along the water and seeing how many times it could bounce across the surface. Now it’s taken on an added meaning which if you are not careful can rob you of every penny in your credit card account. Skimming can happen at any store or restaurant where you use your credit card to make a transaction. For instance at a restaurant you hand the waiter or waitress your credit card. They leave your line of vision and swipe the card through an electronic device known as skimmer. In less than a second the skimmer stores your credit card information. No doubt if some crooked employee is skimming your card then they have probably done this to quite a number of people. However it doesn’t stop there. The connection with debit card misuse can be a number of things but usually it’s the form of the automatic teller machine. An unsuspecting person goes to make a transaction but after inputting their personal identification number, a message pops up stating the machine is out of order. No problem right? Just retrieve your card and go find another atm. Except that unbeknown to you, a skimming device was put in place to read your card information as well as your pin number. It doesn’t take too long after that for thieves to drain your account. Therefore after you have used your card to make a transaction, check back frequently that everything appears to be in order. Unfortunately skimming along with the advent of new technology and the tweaking of the traditional tried and true methods of thievery will guarantee that identity theft remains at the top of the consumer list for a long time to come.

Top 5 Ways Teens Are Compromising Their Identities Online

Steven Greenwald — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 03:26:12 +0000

Growing Number of Teens Becoming Victims of Online Identity Theft Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America with 18-29 year olds being the largest group of victims. Educating 13-18 year olds about how and why they are being targeted is critical in preventing new victims. Clean credit and a low level of identity theft awareness are two top reasons teens are targeted. A new survey from Qwest Communications Teen Council Program shows that an alarming number of teens are making it easier for thieves to steal their identity. With answers from more than 1600 students about their online habits, the report identified the top 5 ways teens are compromising their identities. – Posting their real name, address, date of birth and school on social networking sites like myspace – Talking with strangers through their social networking page — and in some cases meeting in person – Divulging social security numbers on online job applications – Unable to recognize “phishing” emails – Storing personal information like their social security number and passwords in cell phones Experts warn that a teen’s identity is more valuable than money and the best way to protect against ID theft is awareness of the problem. Most teens are willing to share personal information as a means of feeling more popular within their peer group. Better communication at home can help families stay safer online. To view the entire Teen Council report and get additional information about protecting your identity go to incredibleinternet.com. Produced for Qwest

Child Medical Identity Theft Video – www.IdentityTheft.info

Steven Greenwald — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:43:57 +0000

Medical identity theft can be a life threatening crime. Crooks use your identity to obtain medical services leaving you with the bill and more importantly the medical services they obtained are then on your medical record. This false information on your medical record could kill you in an emergency situation. Visit www.identitytheft.info, “The” identity theft information site for more comprehensive articles news and videos about how to protect yourself and your family.

Is Your Cell Phone Safe From Identity Theft?

Steven Greenwald — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 23:13:19 +0000

Officials with the US Secret Service are helping Oklahomans protect themselves from wireless identity fraud. Eyewitness News 5’s Tyler Suiters has the story.

Where can I find a good article dealing with personal identity theft?

Steven Greenwald — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:08:23 +0000

Thanks!

Child Identity Theft

Steven Greenwald — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 09:02:16 +0000

When a child is born, a parent may apply for a Social Security number for that child.  A child’s Social Security number is very much sought after by identity thieves. The child identity thief could be a family member (uncle, aunt cousin), another adult who has access and is allowed in your home, someone who has stolen your mail or hacked into your computer. We think we know who the child identity thief could be, but we don’t.
Most parents apply for the baby’s SSN so that they can claim the child on their taxes and you must submit the SSN on the official tax forms, so now, anybody who has the means to see that tax form can copy the child’s information. The child’s identity could be stolen at the hospital or at a health professionals’ office. What about the dishonest legal professional who sells the child’s identity to an unscrupulous client. It does not matter what profession a person is in, they have the potential to be dishonest.
The thief could be anybody.  Typically, your not going to check your child’s credit rating (why would you), so your not going to know their identity has been stolen. Now the identity thief has more than a decade to create a new identity for him and gain credit cards, loans, cell phones, utilities, bank accounts, drivers license etc. etc. The crime is not discovered until your child has grown and applies for her first education loan, apartment, credit card or job! By now, the trail has become ice cold and your child’s credit record has been cut to ribbons. In all likelihood all of the accounts opened in her name have been purchased by a collection agency.
It would be very difficult for your child to repair what has happened because of the difficulty in tracking down the original loan applications and transaction records if the original account has been through several hands because of companies merging and being bought-up. Our children need to be taught about the dangers of providing their personal information and your personal information when they are logged onto the net. Today’s kids have a burning desire to log into the many chat rooms and social networking sites and they may be asked for personal information on a registration screen or by an identity thief.
The preventative identity theft company, LifeLock, has already launched the first-of-its-kind Children’s ID Theft Prevention Program. Now, LifeLock’s subscribers can add the children’s ID theft program to their existing full suite of ID theft preventative services. The children’s theft prevention program is for minors 16 years and younger. A recent study in the state of Utah revealed that 1,800 Social Security numbers assigned to children 12 years of age and younger had been forged, according to the state’s Identity Theft Task Force.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has advised that between 5% and 7% of identity theft victims are under the age of 18 and if you include college-aged individuals, it is almost 20%.
“Due to the extreme increase in ID theft among minors, we have taken the initiative to develop a first-of-its-kind program to protect children,” said Todd Davis, CEO of LifeLock. Tracking credit bureau activity and monitoring depository accounts are considered standard when dealing with identity theft. But Davis insists that working with the Social Security Administration and identifying work activity from unusually young minors is a red flag that warrants further investigation. “LifeLock is in the process of working with local and federal agencies, as well as leaders in Washington D.C. to lead the efforts in protecting our children from identity theft. This is a critical aspect of our overall service,” continued Davis. “As the Utah investigation demonstrated, sadly, there are numerous victims yet to be discovered.”  LifeLock subscribers can pay $10 per year for the Children’s ID Theft Prevention Program through which LifeLock will regularly audit the credit bureau, monitor depository banking accounts, and track any unusual “work activity” with the Social Security Administration on behalf of LifeLock’s youth customers. All minors enrolled in the program will also benefit by LifeLock’s standard $1 million guarantee.

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