Citibank apologizes after exposing 600,000 Social Security numbers

Citibank representatives call it a processing error, which doesn’t sound too serious. But for more than half a million Citibank customers who received mail from the credit card company with their Social Security number printed on the outside of the envelope…it was more than a little disturbing. (Read Full Article)

New technology's impact on identity theft

Qing Hu, a professor and chair of logistics, operations and management information systems at Iowa State, says those new technologies won't even make a dent on the identity theft problem.

"Identities are sold around the world quickly after they are stolen through online auction sites operated by organized crime or hackers, and they are used for a number of purposes -- most of which do not need a personal presence where a retina scan might be used," said Hu, who has been conducting research on corporate information security management and user behavior toward information security technologies since 2005.

"They [stolen identities] can be used to apply for new credit cards, making duplicate cards for online purchases of digital services and products where physical delivery is not needed -- online games, pornographic material, music download, fake account for money laundering, etc.," he said. "It is rare that a criminal would take a fake ATM card to go to a physical machine to take cash out, knowing that almost all ATMs today have cameras to record every transaction."

Steffen Schmidt, a University Professor of political science who is also a researcher in ISU's Center for Information Protection, shares Hu's information security outlook amid new technology. The co-author of two books on preventing identity theft -- "Who Is You: The Coming Epidemic of Identity Theft" (The Consortium, 2005) and "The Silent Crime: What You Need to Know About Identity Theft" (Twin Lakes Press, 2008) -- Schmidt predicts identity theft will only escalate with technological advancements. 

Study: Identity theft hits record high

Criminals use social networks, online transactions to gather victims' information.

More people in the United States are falling victim to identity fraud. A study by Javelin Strategy & Research showed that the number of victims jumped by 12% to 11.1 million adults in 2009, the biggest increase since the survey began in 2003. Identity fraud continues on the upswing and we believe it will continue to rise if consumers fail to take proactive steps to prevent fraudsters from taking advantage of their offline and online transactions and their increasingly exposed personal information on social networks. The study said that total overall fraud rose by 12.5% to $54 billion. The perpetrator is often someone the victim knows, such as a family member or presumed friend, according to Javelin founder James Van Dyke. The number of new credit card accounts opened fraudulently rose 39% in 2009, with new online accounts more than doubling, and the number of new e-mail payment accounts rising 12%. The study also found that 29% of identity-fraud victims said that mobile phone accounts were fraudulently opened in their names.

We must be vigilant with whom you are sharing your personal information and where you are sharing it.  

The Consequence of Even a Small Data Breach

We often discuss with our clients the substantial increase recently in the cost of experiencing a breach of data. One aspect that isn't often considered in that increase is the new power of social media in our world. I experienced this recently when I was scheduled meet with a medical practice administrator and was unsure of this clinics location. Not to worry with the power of maps and Google on my I-Phone I'm a direction genius. (Never again can my wife make me ask for directions!) A couple key clicks later the top link in Google provided the information I needed on Citysearch.

Of course I noticed (as everyone else that Googled this clinic would have) that they were only given 2 out of 5 stars based upon their reviews. Curious as to why one click later I learned they have a very upset patient who shared the gory details of her medical chart that was lost by this clinic and her confidence in the fact that if you work with them they will also lose your information!!

Ouch! One person now has that much power. The story wasn't broadcast on the nightly news, not in the local paper, just where vast majority of new patients would go to find your location.

It's been reported that it costs $200+ per record lost when a breach is experienced. Somehow for this clinic I think that it is substantially higher.

Online Social-Networking / ID Theft

If you’re a fan of Facebook, and an active user of the social-networking site, then you might be at risk of becoming a victim of identity theft. A story by the Miami Herald detailed all the ingenious ways that cyber criminals can steal your identity by using Facebook as the bait. The Herald story cites this popular scam: You’ll find a message in your Facebook inbox from either someone you don’t recognize or someone you rarely talk to. The subject line might be something like, “Is this you in this video?” When you open the message, you’ll find a link to a Web site. If you click on it, your computer will download a program that collects your personal information and then sends it across the Internet, where cyber criminals will happily collect it.

Protecting Yourself From Identity Theft

As social-networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have exploded in popularity, the risk of identity theft has skyrocketed. But social networkers can take steps to protect themselves. And most of these require little more than common sense. For instance, if you get an e-mail message in your Facebook inbox from someone you don’t recognize, delete it without opening it. If your curiosity gets the better of you and you can’t resist clicking open the message, don’t click on any links in the message. These links often lead to programs that will download your personal information. Be wary, too, of invitations to Facebook events from people you don’t recognize. Often these fake invites will take you to Web pages that look like Facebook events, but are actually Web sites that download malicious software onto your computer.

CBC News - Windsor - Private data of 8,600 Ont. teachers compromised

Laptops containing sensitive records belonging to thousands of Ontario teachers have been stolen, CBC News has learned.
The three laptops contained names, addresses, birth dates and social insurance numbers of about 8,600 teachers, most of whom work at elementary schools for the Toronto District School Board.
The computers were stolen from the Waterloo, Ont., offices of the Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan on Dec. 3.
The organization provides insurance for teachers across the province. The affected teachers were informed of the theft earlier this week, said a spokeswoman for the non-profit insurance organization.
In a notice posted on its website, the organization said it found out about the theft Dec. 4. The group did not say when it determined that sensitive data may have been compromised.
"As soon as we did determine that there was member data involved we set out to put a plan together to notify the members who were affected," Julie Millard told CBC News on Wednesday.
The thieves also broke into a cafeteria cash register and tried to break into a closet containing office supplies, the organization said. No arrests have been made.
Waterloo Regional Police have characterized the theft as a routine "smash and grab."

Numerous possibilities for fraud

But Ken Anderson, Ontario's assistant privacy commissioner, said the situation may not be so cut and dried.
"There are actually professional theft rings now that are looking for laptops, BlackBerrys [and] other portable devices where they can get the information … they strip it out and it can be used in many ways."
For instance, the information can be used to obtain false passports and fake credit cards or for re-mortgaging a victim's home.
Anderson, who is charged with ensuring the government keeps public data safe, said it's "as important, and indeed in some cases, maybe even more important, that the private sector protects your information, especially if it's in a digital format."
Millard acknowledged none of the data on the laptops was encrypted but said the computers were password-protected.
She said a consulting firm is giving teachers advice about preventing fraudulent use of their information, including being told to call credit-rating agencies to flag the theft.
"We believe their identity is safe because of the measures we're taking to protect them," she said.
"Our goal right now is doing the right thing for the members that were affected and examining all of our security policies and procedures and improving [them]."
Teachers who think they might be affected by the theft but have not been contacted are advised to call the insurance firm at 1-800-267-6847.
News of the theft comes a month after a health worker in Whitby, Ont., lost a USB key containing the names and OHIP numbers of 80,000 people in Durham Region. Data on the key wasn't encrypted either.
This prompted Ontario's privacy commissioner to order government agencies to encrypt personal information on devices such as USB keys and laptops.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/windsor/story/2010/01/27/teachers-laptop-data494.html#ixzz0e266Qmqh
CBC News - Windsor - Private data of 8,600 Ont. teachers compromised

Beware Haiti Charity Frauds

Whenever a tragedy takes place in the world Americans step up and illustrate their generosity. In turn every well publicized event creates an opportunity that scam artists inevitable will use to their advantage. A few months ago it was fake Michael Jackson charities and now it is fake charities and scams using the names of legitimate charities to steal funds intended for those in Haiti who need our help.

Please make sure as you give and as you speak to others about giving to the assist those in Haiti, that we remind everyone to be aware of fraud, especially when someone contacts us seeking a donation. The following article reveals some of the scams that are currently being seen.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/13/cbsnews_investigates/main6092813.shtml