How Laptop Security Software Can Protect You From Computer Identity Theft

Computer identity theft is increasingly common.

Computer identity theft is what happens if someone gets access to your personal information, such as your social security number, credit card number, driver's license number and passports without your knowledge by accessing the information on your computer. Often this information is from your laptop computer that has been stolen.

How common is it for laptop computers to be stolen?

It is estimated that more than 500,000 laptops are stolen annually in the United States alone and the number continues to rise. This is a staggering amount of laptops that are on the streets and in the hands of people that may want to steal your personal information. Stolen laptop computers are a very common event which is why the police find it difficult to have the time to assist with the recovery of the laptop let alone deal with the criminal access of your personal information. Laptop security software is a common sense practical solution to prevent computer identity theft.

How secure is the information your laptop computer?

Your laptop is usually your link to the cyber world. It connects you to many business and social networking sites as well as allowing you to order items online. It is now normal to send private information across the internet. It has become a normal part of the world that we live in. What would happen if your laptop was stolen? You may not only lose personal and commercial information stored on your computer, but also the thief would have access to your personal identification details which could mean that the thief could steal your identity. Thieves use this information to carry out illegal transactions purporting to be made by you. Preventing this occurring can save you a lot of money, time and inconvenience.

Top 10 reasons for using laptop security software for protection from computer identity theft.

1. The number of laptops being stolen along is constantly increasing and the chance that your laptop computer will be stolen is constantly rising.

2. Laptop security software helps prevent you from being the victim of computer identity theft.

3. It helps you protect your personal information and keep it secure even in the event of computer theft as you can remotely retrieve files from your laptop and delete them.

4. When you remotely delete files they are deleted to a high forensic standard that prevents them being recovered by computer hackers thereby not only protecting your personal information, but also commercially sensitive information.

5. With one remote command you can render the stolen laptop unusable if you wish.

6. It allows you to access files on the stolen computer without the thief being aware that it is occurring. The laptop security software can record all activity that occurs thereby allowing you to backtrack any unauthorized activity that occurs.

7. Provided you purchase the best laptop security software it allows you to geo locate the stolen laptop to within 60 feet of its location to assist with recovery.

8. If you have valuable business information on your laptop computer laptop security software is a cheap method of insurance.

9. If you are a professional or business person your laptop computer may not only have business information in its files, but confidential personal information of your clients that could be accessed and misused.

10. Protecting yourself from being sued for negligence for not taking reasonable risk management steps to your protect clients' personal information from identity theft is a clear benefit.

What you want from laptop computer software:

The following features and benefits of laptop computer software are essential:

* Invisible internet access to your stolen laptop.

* The ability to remotely access your files on your stolen computer from another computer to delete the files or retrieve them and then delete them.

* To have a Geo locate feature which you can use to locate where your laptop is which allows you to alert the authorities to recover your stolen property.

* Monitor and record what the thief is doing because this not only helps law enforcement officials recover your stolen computer, but also allows you to undo any damage they may have already been done.

* To render your stolen laptop unusable remotely once you realize that it has been stolen.

Read the Resource Box to discover how to the find the recommended solution to help prevent computer identity theft.

Jack Taggerty is a freelance author who owns a number of websites and blogs and knows that the security of your personal information and that of clients is essential to prevent computer identity theft. Follow this link to read his recommendations to help prevent it: http://www.identity-theft-scout.com/laptop-security.html

Obama, Cyber Security, and Identity Theft Protection Starts at Home

Whether you realize it or not one of the biggest threats to your personal security is your computer. And the Obama administration is bringing to light the fact that they believe, and you should too, that one of the biggest security threats to national security is also your computer.

The message is "Think before you click. Know who's on the other side of that instant message. What you say or do in cyberspace stays in cyberspace - for many to see, steal and use against you or your government."

The Internet, and the power it has in contrast to the security it doesn't, is incredible. We have never seen something so powerful bring people together, educating, informing and making life easier but it's also used to hurt, scam and debilitate in so many ways.

As reported in the Associated Press, the Pentagon's computer systems are probed 360 million times a day, and one prominent power company has acknowledged that its networks see up to 70,000 scans a day.

Utilities, banks, retailers and just about every computer network are faced with attacks each day. Many of these hacks are insignificant. However many are with intent to commit crimes such as espionage, stealing financial data or destroying information.

The criminal hackers could be cyber terrorists trying to destroy the U.S. or its economy, malfeasance simply trying to wreak havoc for the sake of it, or opportunists looking to make a profit.

The US is a prime target for many reasons. The most obvious is we've made mistakes that have many in the world hating us. Then there is our financial system that's wide open and lends credit to anyone with a Social Security number instantly checking and approving credit. And of course credit card security is an oxymoron because anyone any time can use anyone's credit card present or non present. We have a bull's-eye on us and we put it there.

A growing concern is "Weapons of Mass Disruption". The US and many other countries are electrically/digitally dependent. Our critical infrastructures including drinking water, sewer systems, phone lines, banks, air traffic, and government systems, all depend on the electric grid. No electricity, no computers, no gasoline, no refrigeration, no clean water. After a major successful attack we'd be back to the dark ages instantly. Think about when the power goes out in your house for a few hours. We're stymied.

The Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security, are hiring thousands of computer experts to protect our networks. But the weakest link in the chain is not the government, but the citizens. Government has lots of work to do, but moms and pops are the most vulnerable. Enterprise networks have become hardened, while small business and the lowly consumer know enough about information security to get hacked. Awareness is key. You are either part of the problem or the solution.

Read this and every possible blog, article and report you have access to so you can stay on top of what is new and ahead of what is next in technology and the security necessary to keep it safe. Build your IT security vocabulary. Protect yourself and your business.

Those steps include:

Use antivirus software, spyware removal, parental controls and firewalls.

Back up your data locally and in the cloud.

Understand the risks associated with the wireless web especially when using unsecured public networks.

Protect your identity too. The most valuable resource you have is your good name. Allowing anyone to pose as you and let them damage your reputation is almost facilitating a crime. Nobody will protect you, except you.


Get a credit freeze. Go to ConsumersUnion.org and follow the steps for your particular state. This is an absolutely necessary tool to secure your credit. In most cases, it prevents new accounts from being opened in your name.
And invest in identity theft protection. Not all forms of identity theft protection can be prevented, but identity theft protection services can dramatically reduce your risk.

Robert Siciliano
http://IDTheftSecurity.com

A Glorious Week of Identity Theft

Dark reading reports Eight defendants were arraigned in a Brooklyn court for allegedly using the stolen identities of AT&T, T-Mobile, and Asurion customers to steal some $22 million worth of wireless equipment and services. An indictment was unsealed in Brooklyn federal court yesterday morning charging Courtney Beckford and seven other defendants. When identity theft defendants named Courtney, Gabe, Marsha, Saul and Ron are involved in a $22 million identity theft scheme, then you know it's just a matter of time until someone named Britney or Brad will get busted too! It's the identity theft apocalypse!

ABC News reports that a former informant for the Secret Service was one of three men charged with stealing credit and debit card information from 170 million accounts in the largest data breach in history. The former informant, Albert Gonzalez of Florida, A.K.A "Segvec", "SoupNazi," and "j4guar17," whose motto was "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" was alleged to have been the ringleader of the criminal hacking operation of a prolific network that spans over five years of serious criminal activity.

Information week reports in the first half of 2009, the number of computer users affected by malware engineered to steal personal information has risen by 600% compared to the January through June period in 2008, according to PandaLabs. In quantitative terms, Panda reports identifying 391,406 computers infected with identity-theft malware in the first six months of the year. Identity thieves are also seeking sensitive information through a more diverse set of targets. Where previously financial data thieves focused on spoofing online bank sites to dupe users into entering login information, they have recently been targeting a variety of services where payment account information may be stored or entered, like PayPal, Amazon, eBay, or charity sites.

Cnet reports Rogue Facebook apps steal log-in data, send spam. Security firm Trend Micro warned on Wednesday that a handful of rogue Facebook apps are stealing log-in credentials and spamming victims' friends. So far, six malicious applications have been identified: "Stream," "Posts," "Your Photos," "Birthday Invitations," "Inbox (1)," "Inbox (2)" according to a blog post by Trend Micro researcher Rik Ferguson. The activity started earlier in the week with a Facebook notification Ferguson says he got from an app called "sex sex sex and more sex!!!," which has more than 287,000 fans. The notification said that someone had commented on one of his posts. That app doesn't appear to be malicious and may have been compromised somehow to begin the distribution of the spam, he said.

USA Today reports Hackers harness Twitter to do their dirty work. A cyber gang has begun experimenting with setting up free Twitter accounts, then sending out Tweets from the popular micro-blogging service that are really coded instructions to botted PCs to carry out criminal activities. Anti-virus maker Symantec has isolated several samples of infected PCs carrying a unique new infection, dubbed "Sninfs."

The PCs most likely got infected when their users unwittingly clicked to a tainted web page or on a corrupted link carried in an email or social network message, says Marc Fossi research and development manager at Symantec Security Response.

Robert Siciliano http://IDTheftSecurity.com

Is Your College Student Carelessly Inviting Identity Thieves and Predators?

In its annual report earlier this year, the Federal Trade Commission announced that the most vulnerable targets of identity theft are 18-29-year olds. Likewise, the 2007 Identity Fraud Survey Report, released by Javelin Strategy & Research, uncovers similar findings: "Adult victims between the ages of 18 and 24 are least likely to take easy, but important, safeguards such as shredding documents and using antivirus software and firewalls, resulting in more than 5 percent of those surveyed falling victim."

And Stephen Knighten, a research associate for Javelin Strategy & Research, adds that residence hall life may increase a student's risk for identity theft: "Oftentimes, you're in a situation where you probably have a roommate and people coming in and out of your apartment � physical documents tend to sort of sit around, and there are more avenues of access with your roommates' friends and your friends."

The Internet Crimes Against Children program last year investigated 2,329 cases of enticement and of predators traveling to meet minors, and 252,000 cases of child pornography. Yet those numbers provide just a glimpse of the activity, since many local police forces are too small to investigate child porn.

"It's absolutely overwhelming," says Brad Russ, director of Internet Crimes Against Children's training and technical assistance program, which trains 1,000 officers each year. "The scope and the scale of the problem far exceeds our capacity." Intensifying the epidemic is that more than half the world has no laws dealing with child pornography.

And what are some of the other careless acts of college students that leave them vulnerable to identity theft? Here are a few of the ways they might be inviting predators, hackers, and other cybercriminals:

* They setup and use an unsecured wireless network. (Hackers love this because it makes their drive-by hacking that much easier. And not only is the student' information stolen, but the hacker may add software to turn the student's computer into a "zombie" computer thereby taking remote control of it. Hint: It only takes a few more moments to create a userid and password for an extra level of protection.)

* They use guests' computers in the business centers of hotels to enter their personal and/or financial information. (The newest trend for hackers is to hack into these computers so that can secretly record every keystroke and commit other crimes using the student's information. Hint: If you use courtesy computers at a hotel, make absolutely sure that you are on a safe and secured line. And, taking it a step further, do not enter any personal and financial information unless it is absolutely necessary and this is your only option. See the related story from ABC News' Good Morning America in the video below.)

* They inhabit social networking sites and let their younger siblings share the site with them. (While social networking sites, like MySpace, and many others, are extremely popular communities where young people innocently engage in countless hours of banal chatter and photo-sharing, unfortunately, these social networking sites have also become the hangouts for child predators, child pornographers, and other cybercriminals. Hint: Putting filtering and monitoring software on kids' computers provides some protection. Parents, use legitimate software to block Web sites and create a log of visited sites. As parents and guardians, you can monitor a child's activity from other computers and be notified of violations via E-mail or cell phone.)

* They quickly and without verifying identities add new "friends" to their instant messenger buddy lists. (While it is rewarding to see your buddy list grow with new friends from around the world, be sure that you absolutely know that the new friend is actually who he says he or she is. Many times predators and cybercriminals (male and female) will hide behind pictures of extremely attractive ladies in sexy poses. Hint: Before adding any new friends to your buddy list, take time to read their profile (which may or may not be completed fully), or do further investigation by visiting their website. An incomplete profile should serve as a red flag and raise you level of suspicion.)

It may take a village to raise a child, but in a world of online social networking, decentralized networks and servers, and increasingly tech-savvy child predators, it's going to take a united effort among government, industry, and families to keep them safe. To protect your child, you need an Internet security team of experts making sure that you, your family, and your business computer are always safe and secure.

The best protection you can have in today's rapidly changing world of cyber-attacks is to have expert support for all your Internet security needs that will provide technical support without any hassles and without charging you extra fees. It will become even more critical than it is today as time goes on. You need to find your own personal team of experts to rely on. If you ever have a security problem, you will want to have a trusted expert you can call for professional help, without any hassles and extra costs!

Remember: When you say "No!" to hackers and spyware, everyone wins! When you don't, we all lose.

� MMVII, Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW, The Internet Safety Advocate and Educator

Related Story: Good Morning America video
Etienne A. Gibbs, Internet Security Advocate and Educator, consults with individuals, small business owners, and home-business entrepreneurs about online protection (including free lifetime technical support and $25K identity theft insurance and recovery) against spyware, viruses, hackers, and other pc-disabling cybercrimes. For more information, visit http://www.SayNotoHackersandSpyware.com/.

Some Precautions - Identity Thieves Combine Offline And Online Options

Two out of five identity theft victims surveyed by the Identity Theft Assistance Center (ITAC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting identity theft through victim assistance, research and law enforcement partnerships) know how their personal data was stolen. This knowledge provides valuable insight about how identity theft occurs.

When ITAC surveyed 275 identity theft victims who used the ITAC's free service over a one-month period, 160 consumers (58%) did not know the source of their identity theft. Another 115 consumers (42%) did know how their information was compromised. These 115 consumers attributed their identity theft to the following sources:

* Friends, relatives, in-home employees - 26 cases, or 22.61%

* Computer hacker/virus/phishing - 25 cases, or 21.74%

* Mail (stolen or fraudulent address change) - 24 cases, or 20.87%

* Lost/stolen wallet, checkbook or credit card - 15 cases, or 13.04%

* Corrupt business or employee - 12 cases, or 10.43%

* Data breach - 8 cases, or 6.96%

* House burglarized - 4 cases, or 3.48%

* Instant credit - 1 case, or 0.87%

Getting accurate information about the sources of identity theft is difficult because identity theft - the opening of a fraudulent new account or account takeover - is often confused with other types of fraud, like the unauthorized use of a credit card.

Nevertheless, it is up to each of us to be on guard against the possibility that our documents, or worst yet, our computers, could be compromised. Sometimes it may seem like a losing battle, but they are some steps we can take to prevent becoming the next victim. Here are some precautions:

* Do not keep your Social Security card in your wallet.

* If your Social Security number is on your driver's license, remove it. (In some states it is now illegal for a driver's license to be issued with a Social Security number.)

* When shredding important papers, make sure you use a cross-cut. "If it is shredded in strips and not cross-cut, I can put it down right in front of me and put it back together and there you have it," says "John", who uses his skills as a computer defense specialist to protect you, and is skilled in the ways of hackers and thieves and can ruin your credit and your life.

* "Don't use wireless for anything that you would not want put in a public newspaper. Though it's a nice convenience, your information is basically floating in mid-air. I could be two blocks away with a high-powered antenna picking up his information."

* The key is defense in depth or layers: Anti-virus, computer patches, and firewalls, and most importantly, updating them once a week. There are types of protection for wireless but they can be hacked in as little as twenty minutes.

Because cybercriminals are becoming smarter and more sophisticated in their operations, they are real threats to your personal security and privacy. Your money, your computer, your family, and your business are all at risk.

To protect yourself, you need an Internet security team of experts making sure that you, your family, and your business computer are always safe and secure. The best protection you can have in today's rapidly changing world of cyber-attacks is to have expert support for all your Internet security needs that will provide technical support without any hassles and without charging you extra fees. It will become even more critical than it is today as time goes on. You need to find your own personal team of experts to rely on. If you ever have a security problem, you will want to have a trusted expert you can call for professional help, without any hassles and extra costs!

These cybercriminals leave you with three choices :

1. Do nothing and hope their attacks, risks, and threats don't occur on your computer.

2. Do research and get training to protect yourself, your family, and your business.

3. Get professional help to lockdown your system from all their attacks, risks, and threats.

Remember: When you say "No!" to hackers and spyware, everyone wins! When you don't, we all lose!

� MMVII, Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW, The Internet Safety Advocate and Educator

Resources Box:
Etienne A. Gibbs, Independent Internet Security Advocate and Educator, consults with individuals, small business owners, and home-business entrepreneurs regarding online protection (including free lifetime technical support and $25,000 identity theft insurance and recovery) against spyware, viruses, malware, hackers, and other pc-disabling cybercrimes. For more information, visit http://www.SayNotoHackersandSpyware.com/

Internet Cafe Safety - Protect Your Online Identity

This article is primarily intended for travellers on their round the world trip, Gap Year or Sabbatical. Travellers are often the most vulnerable, being in a foreign land with limited funds with only the use of public internet facilities to contact family and friends. They are often advised by travel websites and fellow travellers to take copies of their itineraries, photo copy of passwords, emergency contact numbers, travellers cheques numbers, etc. in their email accounts so in the case of an emergency these details are available.

Internet Cafe's are often frequented by travellers and normal folk alike to update their blogs, pay bills and keep in touch with friends and family. Hopefully over the course of this article, it will educate the traveller and other users of public internet services about some of the possible risks associated with using these services.

so what are the potential risks?

Hackers can easily exploit public internet facilities where the desktop machines are not hardened (i.e. not fully patched with the latest security updates, anti-virus products, firewalls, unrestricted admin access etc).

In vulnerable environments hackers can install keylogging software / hardware keyloggers to capture keystrokes typed on a keyboard. If you enter credentials to log into email, the keystrokes entered into the keyboard whilst entering the credentials are logged. This allows the hackers to review the keylogger logs to extract your credentials. The hacker can then log into you email and peruse at their leisure sifting through your emails for sensitive data that can be used for criminal activity (identity theft etc). There is a suggestion that using a virtual keyboard can be used to defeat keyloggers. Whilst this may be true for hardware keyloggers, sophisticated software keyloggers can still capture the keyboard input of virtual keyboards.

Another tool hackers can install are Network Sniffers / Protocol analysers. This software will capture data packets to and from the workstation (data on the wire!). Therefore if you are using Instant Messaging / Email and are sending and receiving messages, the sent messages is converted to data packets if sent, and converted from data packets to messages if received (simplified view of what happens). This happens as the messages leave or enters the computer. Network sniffers capture the data while they are in the form of data packets. Anything not encrypted can be read by the hacker. Therefore a email / Instant messaging conversation that exchange sensitive information can be captured and sifted through by the hacker (to glean information to support criminal activities).

The non technical scam used by the the hacker is shoulder surfing, where your the hacker looks at your keyboard while you are entering your credentials when logging into a website or bank to uncover the password.

These are just some of the many techniques used by hackers to extract sensitive data. Some practical countermeasures are discussed in cyber cafe safety. Also accompany this with safe travel advice to ensure you are safe both online and offline whilst travelling.

Why Children Are a Prime Target for Identity Theft

As parents we most often carefully monitor our child's websites, emails, cell phone and text messages because we are concerned. Many times it is a concern for our child's safety. We worry about them being approached inappropriately online. We are concerned about sexual predators. But have we considered that our children may also be in a different kind of danger --the danger of identity theft?

Children are the perfect target for identity theft. They have a spotless credit record and because they are not using their credit it may go undetected for several years. They grow up and suddenly there discover their credit records are blemished. Can the information that we share about our children, whether it is online, to a school or medical professional allow the opportunity for identity theft? In 2005 the Federal Trade Commission reported that over half a million children were victims of identity theft. These cases include: the use of a child's Social Security Number being used illegally for income tax purposes and obtaining credit in a child's name. It's easy enough to do; just the other day one of my own children received a credit card offer in the mail. What if that fell into the wrong hands?

How can you protect your child from identity theft? The National Cyber Security Alliance calls social networking sites "billboards in cyberspace." Would you post on a billboard your child's personal information, such a social security number? To protect your child from identity theft you can take the following steps:

Limit access to your profile, photographs, blogs and other online sources. Limit access to your child's social security number. You can refuse to provide it to schools and medical providers. Educational or health benefits can not be denied based on keeping your information private. Keep a safe spot in your home for important documents. This can be a lock box or file cabinet with a lock on it.

When someone request your child's SSN know the reason for doing so. Ask for copies of the bank account statement or other verifying documents if they claim that they are setting up a savings account or other investment opportunity for your child. Note, in the event a family member or friend wants to create an investment or savings fund for your child establish the account yourself and note that deposits can be made by specific individuals on the account. This keeps your child's social security number private.

Do not carry important documents in your purse.

Do not provide your children with their SSN or Birth Certificate until they are older.

Destroy and/or shred any and all documents of a personal nature including credit card offers, medical claim forms (after paid) and any other document you do not need to keep. Invest in a scanner and scan the documents into your computer, save it to a disc and keep it under lock and key. Be sure to use your computer's parental controls, including spyware and anti virus software, not only for to protect your child's information but yours also.

Ask questions and distrust any website or telephone call that asks for your child's social security number. Make sure that any request for your child's SSN is valid, relevant and necessary before providing it.

Thoroughness and vigilance are absolutely necessary to protect your child from identity theft. In most cases, identity theft to children is committed by friends or family members, however more and more instances occur as a result of information posted on the internet; whether by yourself or your child. Don't worry about what people will think of you. Those that understand will see you as a concerned parent who is being very aware of the real world and its dangers, and one not only protects their child's future financial well being, but also sets the example to other parents by teaching them how to protect their children from identity theft.

Lisa Carey is a contributing author for Identity Theft Secrets: prevention and protection. You can get tips on Identity theft protection, software, and monitoring your credit as well as learn more about the secrets used by identity thieves at the Identity Theft Secrets blog.

Teach Your Children About Cyber Identity Theft

The web is a powerful tool, in the old days a person would have to visit a library to do most research or locate information about a specific topic. With a computer and the net now in homes that information is now just a click away.

The internet can also be a dangerous place. Viruses can be mass produced and spread around the globe, especially to countries with low computer security. It can be used to gain access to banking knowledge taking money from the owner. It can be a source of activity that is not appropriate for young people such as lewd acts, pornography, crime and cursing.

The internet is not a good place for children to be snooping around in. It is a good idea for parents to teach their children about the dangers of the internet. A child that happens upon a website that is not appropriate may have their life's changed forever.

By teaching children properly you are ensuring the safety of the entire family as well as their own. Any information that a child shares over the internet can endanger the entire family. Teach your children never to give out personal information, even it is just a name, a location, or even a phone number.

Teach your children never to give out passwords to anyone, even close friends. Having a password makes it much easier for criminals to get what they want without the risk of getting caught. A close friend might have a slip of the tongue and give out the password to the wrong person.

Cursing and other rude behavior should not be tolerated over the internet. Obviously anything that is put out on the internet is out there forever. You never know if the person that the ill feelings are directed at may be a computer whiz, and you may become the object of ill will which could endanger your data and computer.

Allow your children to have fun at the same time restricting them. Allowing them to have total freedom on the internet will usually result in trouble as they are mostly innocent and unsuspecting of those who seek to prey on children.

Place security restrictions on the internet browser. The computer should be placed in a common area, not in the child's private room. You will need to check in on the child from time to time, for their own protection.

S W Allen

Cyber Identity Theft

http://cyberidentitytheft.info/

Why Children Are a Prime Target for Identity Theft

As parents we most often carefully monitor our child's websites, emails, cell phone and text messages because we are concerned. Many times it is a concern for our child's safety. We worry about them being approached inappropriately online. We are concerned about sexual predators. But have we considered that our children may also be in a different kind of danger --the danger of identity theft?

Children are the perfect target for identity theft. They have a spotless credit record and because they are not using their credit it may go undetected for several years. They grow up and suddenly there discover their credit records are blemished. Can the information that we share about our children, whether it is online, to a school or medical professional allow the opportunity for identity theft? In 2005 the Federal Trade Commission reported that over half a million children were victims of identity theft. These cases include: the use of a child's Social Security Number being used illegally for income tax purposes and obtaining credit in a child's name. It's easy enough to do; just the other day one of my own children received a credit card offer in the mail. What if that fell into the wrong hands?

How can you protect your child from identity theft? The National Cyber Security Alliance calls social networking sites "billboards in cyberspace." Would you post on a billboard your child's personal information, such a social security number? To protect your child from identity theft you can take the following steps:

Limit access to your profile, photographs, blogs and other online sources. Limit access to your child's social security number. You can refuse to provide it to schools and medical providers. Educational or health benefits can not be denied based on keeping your information private. Keep a safe spot in your home for important documents. This can be a lock box or file cabinet with a lock on it.

When someone request your child's SSN know the reason for doing so. Ask for copies of the bank account statement or other verifying documents if they claim that they are setting up a savings account or other investment opportunity for your child. Note, in the event a family member or friend wants to create an investment or savings fund for your child establish the account yourself and note that deposits can be made by specific individuals on the account. This keeps your child's social security number private.

Do not carry important documents in your purse.

Do not provide your children with their SSN or Birth Certificate until they are older.

Destroy and/or shred any and all documents of a personal nature including credit card offers, medical claim forms (after paid) and any other document you do not need to keep. Invest in a scanner and scan the documents into your computer, save it to a disc and keep it under lock and key. Be sure to use your computer's parental controls, including spyware and anti virus software, not only for to protect your child's information but yours also.

Ask questions and distrust any website or telephone call that asks for your child's social security number. Make sure that any request for your child's SSN is valid, relevant and necessary before providing it.

Thoroughness and vigilance are absolutely necessary to protect your child from identity theft. In most cases, identity theft to children is committed by friends or family members, however more and more instances occur as a result of information posted on the internet; whether by yourself or your child. Don't worry about what people will think of you. Those that understand will see you as a concerned parent who is being very aware of the real world and its dangers, and one not only protects their child's future financial well being, but also sets the example to other parents by teaching them how to protect their children from identity theft.

Lisa Carey is a contributing author for Identity Theft Secrets: prevention and protection. You can get tips on Identity theft protection, software, and monitoring your credit as well as learn more about the secrets used by identity thieves at the Identity Theft Secrets blog.

Report: Combined Consumer Education and Increased Security Measures Equal Reduced Identity Fraud

While surfing the 'net, I came across a report about the reduction of identity theft and identity fraud. Obviously, it caught my attention. Following, in part, is that report which was produced by Javelin Strategy & Research, and co-sponsored by CheckFree Corporation, Visa Card, and Wells Fargo & Co.

While identity theft remains a multi-billion-dollar problem for businesses, organizations, and individuals, incidents of the fraud dropped significantly last year, according to a report.

Identity fraud occurring in the United States declined in 2006 by 12 percent over the year before, from $55.7 billion to $49.3 billion, according to the third-annual survey by Javelin Strategy & Research. The survey, which involved 5,000 telephone interviews, estimated the number of victims dropped for the fourth consecutive year by about 500,000 to 8.4 million persons.

Researchers attributed the decline to better consumer education and awareness and increased use of online banking and financial sites that allow closer monitoring of accounts. "Businesses are doing a lot more, law enforcement is doing more, and so are consumers," said James Van Dyke, president of Javelin, a research company in Pleasanton, Calif., specializing in financial services and payments.

Tena Friery, research director at the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a nonprofit consumer organization in San Diego, said she was surprised by the size of the decline but said there is much greater public awareness. "We still have a long way to go," she said.

According to the report, there was a significant reduction in fraudulent new-account openings, traditionally one of the most common kinds of fraud. It occurs when a criminal uses a victim's personal data to open a new account.

The survey also found that it takes on average less time and expense to resolve a fraud case than last year. When fraudulent accounts are opened, the average fraud amounts dropped from more than $10,000 in 2005 to $7,260 in 2006. Resolution times dropped from an average of 25 hours in 2005 to five hours in 2006.

Van Dyke said one reason the numbers are down is that businesses are "screening account applicants much more closely."

Individuals and consumer groups have long argued that extra screening was needed because conflicting application information, such as two addresses, could indicate identity fraud.

One group that isn't doing better, according to the report, is 18- to 24-year olds. This age group was more likely to become a victim of identity theft than other age groups. (See sure to read my related article, Your Child's First Year at College: Prime Target for Identity Theft?).

The report references offline criminal activities; however, I do believe that incidents of identity theft have remained unchanged online. One example is stated above, with cybercriminals targeting recent high school graduates and college freshmen. Unfortunate victims, these graduates and college freshmen provide extremely lucrative opportunities for the cybercriminals to obtain their personal information. Even before they start their first careers, these graduates and college students will, most likely, be crippled by identity theft.

To protect yourself, you need an internet security team of experts making sure that you, your family, and your business computer are always safe and secure. The best protection you can have in today's rapidly changing world of cyber-attacks is to have expert support for all your Internet security needs that will provide technical support without any hassles and without charging you extra fees. It will become even more critical than it is today as time goes on. You need to find your own personal team of experts to rely on. If you ever have a security problem, you will want to have a trusted expert you can call for professional help, without any hassles and extra costs!

Because cybercriminals are becoming smarter and more sophisticated in their operations, they are real threats to your personal security and privacy. Your money, your computer, your family, and your business are all at risk.

These cybercriminals leave you with three choices:

1. Do nothing and hope their attacks, risks, and threats don't occur on your computer.

2. Do research and get training to protect yourself, your family, and your business.

3. Get professional help to lockdown your system from all their attacks, risks, and threats.

Remember: When you say "No!" to hackers and spyware, everyone wins! When you don't, we all lose!

� MMVII, Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW, The Internet Safety Advocate and Educator

Etienne A. Gibbs, Independent Internet Security Advocate and Educator , consults with individuals, small business owners, and home-business entrepreneurs regarding online protection against spyware, viruses, malware, hackers, and other pc-disabling cybercrimes. For more information, visit http://www.SayNotoHackersandSpyware.com/.

Internet Cafe Safety - Protect Your Online Identity

This article is primarily intended for travellers on their round the world trip, Gap Year or Sabbatical. Travellers are often the most vulnerable, being in a foreign land with limited funds with only the use of public internet facilities to contact family and friends. They are often advised by travel websites and fellow travellers to take copies of their itineraries, photo copy of passwords, emergency contact numbers, travellers cheques numbers, etc. in their email accounts so in the case of an emergency these details are available.

Internet Cafe's are often frequented by travellers and normal folk alike to update their blogs, pay bills and keep in touch with friends and family. Hopefully over the course of this article, it will educate the traveller and other users of public internet services about some of the possible risks associated with using these services.

so what are the potential risks?

Hackers can easily exploit public internet facilities where the desktop machines are not hardened (i.e. not fully patched with the latest security updates, anti-virus products, firewalls, unrestricted admin access etc).

In vulnerable environments hackers can install keylogging software / hardware keyloggers to capture keystrokes typed on a keyboard. If you enter credentials to log into email, the keystrokes entered into the keyboard whilst entering the credentials are logged. This allows the hackers to review the keylogger logs to extract your credentials. The hacker can then log into you email and peruse at their leisure sifting through your emails for sensitive data that can be used for criminal activity (identity theft etc). There is a suggestion that using a virtual keyboard can be used to defeat keyloggers. Whilst this may be true for hardware keyloggers, sophisticated software keyloggers can still capture the keyboard input of virtual keyboards.

Another tool hackers can install are Network Sniffers / Protocol analysers. This software will capture data packets to and from the workstation (data on the wire!). Therefore if you are using Instant Messaging / Email and are sending and receiving messages, the sent messages is converted to data packets if sent, and converted from data packets to messages if received (simplified view of what happens). This happens as the messages leave or enters the computer. Network sniffers capture the data while they are in the form of data packets. Anything not encrypted can be read by the hacker. Therefore a email / Instant messaging conversation that exchange sensitive information can be captured and sifted through by the hacker (to glean information to support criminal activities).

The non technical scam used by the the hacker is shoulder surfing, where your the hacker looks at your keyboard while you are entering your credentials when logging into a website or bank to uncover the password.

These are just some of the many techniques used by hackers to extract sensitive data. Some practical countermeasures are discussed in cyber cafe safety. Also accompany this with safe travel advice to ensure you are safe both online and offline whilst travelling.

Is Your College Student Carelessly Inviting Identity Thieves and Predators?

In its annual report earlier this year, the Federal Trade Commission announced that the most vulnerable targets of identity theft are 18-29-year olds. Likewise, the 2007 Identity Fraud Survey Report, released by Javelin Strategy & Research, uncovers similar findings: "Adult victims between the ages of 18 and 24 are least likely to take easy, but important, safeguards such as shredding documents and using antivirus software and firewalls, resulting in more than 5 percent of those surveyed falling victim."

And Stephen Knighten, a research associate for Javelin Strategy & Research, adds that residence hall life may increase a student's risk for identity theft: "Oftentimes, you're in a situation where you probably have a roommate and people coming in and out of your apartment � physical documents tend to sort of sit around, and there are more avenues of access with your roommates' friends and your friends."

The Internet Crimes Against Children program last year investigated 2,329 cases of enticement and of predators traveling to meet minors, and 252,000 cases of child pornography. Yet those numbers provide just a glimpse of the activity, since many local police forces are too small to investigate child porn.

"It's absolutely overwhelming," says Brad Russ, director of Internet Crimes Against Children's training and technical assistance program, which trains 1,000 officers each year. "The scope and the scale of the problem far exceeds our capacity." Intensifying the epidemic is that more than half the world has no laws dealing with child pornography.

And what are some of the other careless acts of college students that leave them vulnerable to identity theft? Here are a few of the ways they might be inviting predators, hackers, and other cybercriminals:

* They setup and use an unsecured wireless network. (Hackers love this because it makes their drive-by hacking that much easier. And not only is the student' information stolen, but the hacker may add software to turn the student's computer into a "zombie" computer thereby taking remote control of it. Hint: It only takes a few more moments to create a userid and password for an extra level of protection.)

* They use guests' computers in the business centers of hotels to enter their personal and/or financial information. (The newest trend for hackers is to hack into these computers so that can secretly record every keystroke and commit other crimes using the student's information. Hint: If you use courtesy computers at a hotel, make absolutely sure that you are on a safe and secured line. And, taking it a step further, do not enter any personal and financial information unless it is absolutely necessary and this is your only option. See the related story from ABC News' Good Morning America in the video below.)

* They inhabit social networking sites and let their younger siblings share the site with them. (While social networking sites, like MySpace, and many others, are extremely popular communities where young people innocently engage in countless hours of banal chatter and photo-sharing, unfortunately, these social networking sites have also become the hangouts for child predators, child pornographers, and other cybercriminals. Hint: Putting filtering and monitoring software on kids' computers provides some protection. Parents, use legitimate software to block Web sites and create a log of visited sites. As parents and guardians, you can monitor a child's activity from other computers and be notified of violations via E-mail or cell phone.)

* They quickly and without verifying identities add new "friends" to their instant messenger buddy lists. (While it is rewarding to see your buddy list grow with new friends from around the world, be sure that you absolutely know that the new friend is actually who he says he or she is. Many times predators and cybercriminals (male and female) will hide behind pictures of extremely attractive ladies in sexy poses. Hint: Before adding any new friends to your buddy list, take time to read their profile (which may or may not be completed fully), or do further investigation by visiting their website. An incomplete profile should serve as a red flag and raise you level of suspicion.)

It may take a village to raise a child, but in a world of online social networking, decentralized networks and servers, and increasingly tech-savvy child predators, it's going to take a united effort among government, industry, and families to keep them safe. To protect your child, you need an Internet security team of experts making sure that you, your family, and your business computer are always safe and secure.

The best protection you can have in today's rapidly changing world of cyber-attacks is to have expert support for all your Internet security needs that will provide technical support without any hassles and without charging you extra fees. It will become even more critical than it is today as time goes on. You need to find your own personal team of experts to rely on. If you ever have a security problem, you will want to have a trusted expert you can call for professional help, without any hassles and extra costs!

Remember: When you say "No!" to hackers and spyware, everyone wins! When you don't, we all lose.

� MMVII, Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW, The Internet Safety Advocate and Educator

Related Story: Good Morning America video
Etienne A. Gibbs, Internet Security Advocate and Educator, consults with individuals, small business owners, and home-business entrepreneurs about online protection (including free lifetime technical support and $25K identity theft insurance and recovery) against spyware, viruses, hackers, and other pc-disabling cybercrimes. For more information, visit http://www.SayNotoHackersandSpyware.com/.

Some Precautions - Identity Thieves Combine Offline And Online Options

Two out of five identity theft victims surveyed by the Identity Theft Assistance Center (ITAC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting identity theft through victim assistance, research and law enforcement partnerships) know how their personal data was stolen. This knowledge provides valuable insight about how identity theft occurs.

When ITAC surveyed 275 identity theft victims who used the ITAC's free service over a one-month period, 160 consumers (58%) did not know the source of their identity theft. Another 115 consumers (42%) did know how their information was compromised. These 115 consumers attributed their identity theft to the following sources:

* Friends, relatives, in-home employees - 26 cases, or 22.61%

* Computer hacker/virus/phishing - 25 cases, or 21.74%

* Mail (stolen or fraudulent address change) - 24 cases, or 20.87%

* Lost/stolen wallet, checkbook or credit card - 15 cases, or 13.04%

* Corrupt business or employee - 12 cases, or 10.43%

* Data breach - 8 cases, or 6.96%

* House burglarized - 4 cases, or 3.48%

* Instant credit - 1 case, or 0.87%

Getting accurate information about the sources of identity theft is difficult because identity theft - the opening of a fraudulent new account or account takeover - is often confused with other types of fraud, like the unauthorized use of a credit card.

Nevertheless, it is up to each of us to be on guard against the possibility that our documents, or worst yet, our computers, could be compromised. Sometimes it may seem like a losing battle, but they are some steps we can take to prevent becoming the next victim. Here are some precautions:

* Do not keep your Social Security card in your wallet.

* If your Social Security number is on your driver's license, remove it. (In some states it is now illegal for a driver's license to be issued with a Social Security number.)

* When shredding important papers, make sure you use a cross-cut. "If it is shredded in strips and not cross-cut, I can put it down right in front of me and put it back together and there you have it," says "John", who uses his skills as a computer defense specialist to protect you, and is skilled in the ways of hackers and thieves and can ruin your credit and your life.

* "Don't use wireless for anything that you would not want put in a public newspaper. Though it's a nice convenience, your information is basically floating in mid-air. I could be two blocks away with a high-powered antenna picking up his information."

* The key is defense in depth or layers: Anti-virus, computer patches, and firewalls, and most importantly, updating them once a week. There are types of protection for wireless but they can be hacked in as little as twenty minutes.

Because cybercriminals are becoming smarter and more sophisticated in their operations, they are real threats to your personal security and privacy. Your money, your computer, your family, and your business are all at risk.

To protect yourself, you need an Internet security team of experts making sure that you, your family, and your business computer are always safe and secure. The best protection you can have in today's rapidly changing world of cyber-attacks is to have expert support for all your Internet security needs that will provide technical support without any hassles and without charging you extra fees. It will become even more critical than it is today as time goes on. You need to find your own personal team of experts to rely on. If you ever have a security problem, you will want to have a trusted expert you can call for professional help, without any hassles and extra costs!

These cybercriminals leave you with three choices :

1. Do nothing and hope their attacks, risks, and threats don't occur on your computer.

2. Do research and get training to protect yourself, your family, and your business.

3. Get professional help to lockdown your system from all their attacks, risks, and threats.

Remember: When you say "No!" to hackers and spyware, everyone wins! When you don't, we all lose!

� MMVII, Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW, The Internet Safety Advocate and Educator

Resources Box:
Etienne A. Gibbs, Independent Internet Security Advocate and Educator, consults with individuals, small business owners, and home-business entrepreneurs regarding online protection (including free lifetime technical support and $25,000 identity theft insurance and recovery) against spyware, viruses, malware, hackers, and other pc-disabling cybercrimes. For more information, visit http://www.SayNotoHackersandSpyware.com/