Identity Theft: Increasing Incidence of Online Threats Demands Increase in Security Education—Identity Theft Expert and Speaker on Personal Security

(BOSTON, Mass. – April 6, 2007 – IDTheftSecurity.com) Last month a well-known computer security firm released a report showing how the incidence of computer threats and the complexity and sophistication of individuals perpetrating them are growing. According to Robert Siciliano, a widely televised and quoted personal security and identity theft expert, the findings underscored the validity of other’ calls for strengthening IT security education and awareness programs.

“The response to ambitious hackers and the computer threats they engineer must be equally ambitious and scale to the ever-evolving dangers,” said Siciliano. “One major line of defense is IT security education. All companies should invest heavily in educating their workforces about IT security challenges.”

CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, Siciliano leads Fortune 500 companies and their clients in workshops that explore consumer education solutions for security issues. On its Web site, the Privacy Learning Institute has featured Siciliano, a longtime identity theft speaker. Author of “The Safety Minute: 01,” He has discussed identity theft and data security on CNBC, on NBC’s “Today Show,” FOX News, and elsewhere.

A March 19th news release from Symantec Corporation of Cupertino, Calif., shared findings from the “Internet Security Threat Report Volume XI,” which looked at the incidence of various computer threats over the second half of 2006 vs. the first half:

Bot-infections (i.e., computers becoming “zombies” that operate, unbeknownst to their users, as malicious servers) increased by 29 percent.

Trojans constituted 45 percent of the top 50 malicious code samples—a 23 percent increase.

Zero-day vulnerabilities (undocumented threats to new software releases) increased twelve-fold.

According to Symantec’s report, these and other increases resulted in higher threats to personal, identifying information stored on computers. The research also revealed that hackers are expanding collaborative efforts on a massive scale.

Findings released a month earlier by Input, a Reston, VA–based market research firm, indicated that Department of Defense and Civilian Agencies will spend $690 million on IT security education and awareness programs over the next five years. The Feb. 20th news release noted: The Federal Information Security Management Act currently mandates that federal agencies provide security awareness and training to employees on an annual basis. But, the report suggested, successful education programs must require higher frequency and include random testing at a minimum of every few months.

“Hackers are becoming much more aggressive and vigorous in their antics,” concluded Siciliano. “We must respond in kind with training and education. Very little will completely halt a black hat hacker; they’re ants moving the rubber tree plant, but an equally technical person who knows how to put preventive systems in place has a fighting chance.”

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About IDTheftSecurity.com
Identity theft affects us all, which is why Robert Siciliano, CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, makes it his mission to provide consumer education solutions on identity theft to Fortune 500 companies and their clients. A leader of personal safety and security seminars nationwide, Siciliano has been featured on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, “The Suze Orman Show,” “ABC News with Sam Donaldson,” “The Montel Williams Show,” “Maury Povich,” “Sally Jesse Raphael,” and “The Howard Stern Show.”

Visit Siciliano’s Web site, www.IDTheftSecurity.com; blog, www.realtysecurity.com/blog; and YouTube page, http://youtube.com/stungundotcom.

The media are encouraged to get in touch with Siciliano directly:

Robert Siciliano
Personal Security Expert
PHONE: 888-SICILIANO (742-4542)
FAX: 877-2-FAX-NOW (232-9669)
Robert@IDTheftSecurity.com
www.idtheftsecurity.com

The media may also contact:

Brent W. Skinner, President
STETrevisions
PHONE: 617-875-4859
FAX: 866-663-6557
BrentSkinner@STETrevisions.biz
www.STETrevisions.biz