Identity Theft: Unsecured Laptops Contribute to Consumer Confidence–Sapping Data Breaches—Identity Theft Expert and Speaker on Personal Security

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(BOSTON, Mass. – June 26, 2007 – IDTheftSecurity.com) As research continued to show that data breaches severely undercut consumer confidence, Robert Siciliano, a widely televised and quoted personal security and identity theft expert, urged organizations to secure their mobile computers with GPS tracking technology from MyLaptopGPS™.

“The unrelenting spate of data breaches that continually threatens the integrity of databases housing confidential information is taking its toll on consumer confidence,” said Siciliano. “Organizations that recognize the causal relationship between security and customer retention are ahead in the game, and one way for any organization to show its constituencies that security is job number one is to equip mobile computer fleets with GPS tracking technology.”

CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com and a member of the Bank Fraud & IT Security Report’s editorial board, Siciliano leads Fortune 500 companies and their clients in workshops that explore consumer education solutions for security issues. A longtime identity theft speaker and author of “The Safety Minute: 01,” he has discussed data security and consumer protection on CNBC, on NBC’s “Today Show,” FOX News, and elsewhere.

A new survey jointly conducted by Vontu, developer of data loss prevention technologies, and the Ponemon Institute, publisher of research into information and privacy management, has yielded startling and worrisome findings. The 2007 Consumer Survey on Data Security found that 62 percent of its 768 respondents have received word that their confidential data has been lost. The same percentage said that they would be more upset with a company that lost their information due to negligence than if that company lost their information as the result of theft, and respondents who have received notification are more cautious when sharing their credit card and debit card information.

“Findings like these justify the need for proactive strategies aimed at securing easily compromised data,” said Siciliano. “Some of the most easily purloined data resides on mobile computers. Smart organizations secure their laptop computers to spare themselves not only the immediate headaches associated with a stolen, irretrievable laptop, but also the ensuing headaches that come from consumer confidence irretrievably lost because of data security breaches.”

MyLaptopGPS combines Internet-based GPS tracking—which, for tracking and retrieving stolen laptops, is more effective than other forms of GPS—with other functionalities that users can launch remotely to protect data even while the machine is in a criminal’s hands. Once connected to the internet, the software silently retrieves, and then deletes, files from machines as it tracks the stolen or missing hardware—at once returning the data to its rightful owner and removing it from the lost computer.

“We have seen how widespread laptop theft has become,” said Dan Yost, chief technology officer at MyLaptopGPS. “The alternative to installing GPS tracking technology on laptop computers is almost certainly the grief of never retrieving a machine once one goes missing. Our product and service is a sensible solution whose affordability makes it attractive to organizations that might otherwise face financially prohibitive litigation and loss of revenue in the wake of any laptop security breach.”

A downloadable demo of MyLaptopGPS is available. Recently, Yost delivered comments for a televised news report pertaining to the loss of laptop computers containing the Social Security numbers of numerous teachers at Chicago’s public schools.

To learn more about identity theft, a major concern for anyone who has been affected by the theft of a laptop computer, readers may go to video of Siciliano at VideoJug.

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About MyLaptopGPS
Since 1984, Tri-8, Inc. (DBA MyLaptopGPS.com) has specialized in complete system integration. From real-time electronic payment processing software to renowned mid-market ERP implementations, the executive team at MyLaptopGPS has been serving leading enterprises and implementing world-class data systems that simply work. With MyLaptopGPS™, Tri-8, Inc. brings a level of expertise, dedication, knowledge and service that is unmatched. MyLaptopGPS™’s rock-solid performance, security, and reliability flow directly from the company’s commitment to top-notch software products and services for almost 25 years.

About IDTheftSecurity.com
Identity theft affects us all, and Robert Siciliano, CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com and member of the Bank Fraud & IT Security Report’s editorial board, 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, CNBC, “FOX News,” NBC’s “Today Show,” “The Suze Orman Show,” “The Montel Williams Show,” “Maury Povich,” “Sally Jesse Raphael,” “The Howard Stern Show,” and “Inside Edition.” The Privacy Learning Institute features him on its Website. Numerous magazines, print news outlets, and wire services have turned to him, as well, for expert commentary on personal security and identity theft. These include Entrepreneur, Woman’s Day, Mademoiselle, Good Housekeeping, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, United Press International, Reuters, and others.

For more information, 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 any of the following individuals:

John Dunivan
MyLaptopGPS Media Relations
PHONE: (405) 747-6654 (direct line)
jd@MyLaptopGPS.com
www.MyLaptopGPS.com

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

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

Identity Theft: Synthetic Identity Fraud Outpaces Countermeasures Designed to Battle Identity Thieves—Identity Theft Expert and Speaker on Personal Security

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(BOSTON, Mass. – June 22, 2007 – IDTheftSecurity.com) Crafty renditions on the basic crime of identity theft have proliferated to become widespread threats surprising the news media and catching industry and governments unprepared. According to Robert Siciliano, a widely televised and quoted personal security and identity theft expert, authorities ought to have anticipated synthetic identity fraud, the most common of these new types and the most logical next step for criminals in this arena to take.

“Identity theft has been around for a while,” said Siciliano. “Dumpster divers were stealing identities and committing credit card fraud long before the Internet saw identity theft go high-tech. The point is this: Identity thieves will use everything at their disposal to evade authorities. For years, nobody even thought to secure their garbage, and now nobody has thought to flag fictional identities. Authorities are again behind the curve, failing to recognize the identity thief’s primary goal, the quest to evade law enforcement.”

CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com and a member of the Bank Fraud & IT Security Report’s editorial board, Siciliano leads Fortune 500 companies and their clients in workshops that explore consumer education solutions for security issues. A longtime identity theft speaker and author of “The Safety Minute: 01,” he has discussed data security and consumer protection on CNBC, on NBC’s “Today Show,” FOX News, and elsewhere.

Whereas traditional identity thieves must assume the names of people whose Social Security numbers they have stolen, synthetic identity thieves create entirely fictional identities by combining existing Social Security numbers with fabricated information. The victim’s name is never used, making perpetrators, according to recent reports by “Today’s TMJ4” in Milwaukee, abc7.com in Los Angeles, and others, challenging to track down.

According to research announced by ID Analytics, Inc. more than two years ago, synthetic identity fraud accounted for nearly 90 percent of all identity fraud and nearly three-quarters of total dollars lost by U.S. businesses. An announcement from the company this year reaffirmed the numbers.

Just last month Bankrate.com cited the research, which also suggested that nearly one-fifth of synthetic identity fraud events were undetectable by systems that rely on public record databases. In June, sources criticized the President’s Identity Theft Task Force for overlooking issues pertaining to synthetic identity fraud.

“It is striking that the problem of synthetic identity fraud is just now getting attention,” said Siciliano. “Identity theft and identity fraud are continually and quickly evolving crimes that demand assessments and countermeasures that are ahead of the curve. We must be as proactive as possible in thwarting and apprehending thieves who might otherwise indefinitely evade law enforcement as they decimate millions of law-abiding citizens’ financial profiles.”

Readers may view YouTube video below of Siciliano using the breach of customer data at an exclusive tropical resort as context to discuss the dangers of Social Security numbers as all-purpose identifiers. To learn more about identity theft, readers may click here to view video of Siciliano at VideoJug.

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About IDTheftSecurity.com
Identity theft affects us all. Robert Siciliano, CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com and member of the Bank Fraud & IT Security Report’s editorial board, 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, CNBC, “FOX News,” NBC’s “Today Show,” “The Suze Orman Show,” “The Montel Williams Show,” “Maury Povich,” “Sally Jesse Raphael,” “The Howard Stern Show,” and “Inside Edition.” The Privacy Learning Institute features him on its Website. Numerous magazines, print news outlets, and wire services have turned to him, as well, for expert commentary on personal security and identity theft. These include Entrepreneur, Woman’s Day, Mademoiselle, Good Housekeeping, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, United Press International, Reuters, and others.

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
CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com
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 & CEO of STETrevisions
PHONE: 617-875-4859
FAX: 866-663-6557
BrentSkinner@STETrevisions.biz
www.STETrevisions.biz

Identity Theft: Military Personnel and Their Relatives Are at a Unique Risk—Identity Theft Expert and Speaker on Personal Security

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(BOSTON, Mass. – June 20, 2007 – IDTheftSecurity.com) Numerous news stories have reported that identity thieves and similar scammers are targeting military personnel and families. Robert Siciliano, a widely televised and quoted personal security and identity theft expert, echoed others in calling the trend an inevitable consequence of the casual, widespread use of Social Securities as a universal identifier.

“The Social Security number is the key to the kingdom,” said Siciliano. “Any thief who obtains this number immediately positions himself to do all sorts of bad things, all the while assuming another person’s identity. This is elementary stuff, really, and no revelation, which makes our society’s insistence on depending on an insecure identifier such as the Social Security number all the more frustrating to personal security professionals.”

CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com and a member of the Bank Fraud & IT Security Report’s editorial board, Siciliano leads Fortune 500 companies and their clients in workshops that explore consumer education solutions for security issues. A longtime identity theft speaker and author of “The Safety Minute: 01,” he has discussed data security and consumer protection on CNBC, on NBC’s “Today Show,” FOX News, and elsewhere.

Of the more than 100 million personal records lost or stolen in 2006 according to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, nearly one-third have been for active and retired military personnel whose data once resided at any of just four Veteran Affairs offices. The U.S. Department of Defense, by frequently employing enlistees’ Social Security numbers as all-purpose identifiers, may be contributing to the problem. A number of scams against military personnel and their families have recently been reported.

According to reports, social engineers are also preying upon military personnel and families. One scam, reported by many news outlets, including the June 6th Orlando Sentinel, features phone callers posing as members of the American Red Cross. Claiming that the spouses of the people they call have been wounded in Iraq, scammers proceed to draw Social Security numbers and information on matching birth dates out of the unwitting victims of this ruse.

A number of companies have answered the call to protect military personnel and families from identity theft. For instance, last year MyPublicInfo (MPI), a company based in Arlington, VA, helped citizens potentially hit by the massive data breaches at the Veterans Affairs Administration. The product, MPI’s Public Information Profile, allows anyone using it to self-perform a background check—one that obtains, aggregates, and formats consumer background information not found in credit reports.

In a June 19th press release, Denver, Colo–based ID Watchdog announced that the company would provide its identity monitoring services, billed as “360-degree comprehensive detection,” free to military families to help protect their identities. ID Watchdog monitors a consumer’s credit identity as well as personal information in 13 different, critical areas (e.g., criminal, medical and Social Security records), and resolves any detected breaches.

“The Social Security number shouldn’t be the default tool for identifying soldiers, or anyone else,” said Siciliano. “But citizens also need to know that they shouldn’t, and don’t have to, provide their Social Security number to just anybody. And those who already have done so need to know about the options they have to protect themselves.”

Readers may view the following video of Siciliano using the breach of customer data at an exclusive tropical resort as context to discuss the dangers of Social Security numbers as all-purpose identifiers.

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About IDTheftSecurity.com
Identity theft affects us all. Robert Siciliano, CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com and member of the Bank Fraud & IT Security Report’s editorial board, 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, CNBC, “FOX News,” NBC’s “Today Show,” “The Suze Orman Show,” “The Montel Williams Show,” “Maury Povich,” “Sally Jesse Raphael,” “The Howard Stern Show,” and “Inside Edition.” The Privacy Learning Institute features him on its Website. Numerous magazines, print news outlets, and wire services have turned to him, as well, for expert commentary on personal security and identity theft. These include Entrepreneur, Woman’s Day, Mademoiselle, Good Housekeeping, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, United Press International, Reuters, and others.

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
CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com
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 & CEO of STETrevisions
PHONE: 617-875-4859
FAX: 866-663-6557
BrentSkinner@STETrevisions.biz
www.STETrevisions.biz

Identity Theft: Research May Support Decisions to Create Computer Security Alert System in Europe—Identity Theft Expert and Speaker on Personal Security

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(BOSTON, Mass. – June 8, 2007 – IDTheftSecurity.com) News reports have indicated that a group of countries in the European Union made major strides in finalizing an alert system for business computer security. Robert Siciliano, a widely televised and quoted personal security and identity theft expert, welcomed the development as he pointed to a London-based computer security company’s research, which revealed that mobile employees, especially, display risky behaviors in their computer use.

“It may be that those who take computer risks with their employers’ equipment adopt an ‘it-can’t-happen-to-me’ attitude,” said Siciliano. “Or, they may simply believe it isn’t their responsibility. And when computer security risks remain abstract, these attitudes are easy to have. The solution might be to add third-party alerts that drive home the notion of individual responsibility.”

CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com and a member of the Bank Fraud & IT Security Report’s editorial board, Siciliano leads Fortune 500 companies and their clients in workshops that explore consumer education solutions for security issues. A longtime identity theft speaker and author of “The Safety Minute: 01,” he has discussed data security and consumer protection on CNBC, on NBC’s “Today Show,” FOX News, and elsewhere.

As reported by InfoWorld on June 5, a group of 27 countries in the European Union have moved closer to forming a European Information Sharing and Alert System (EISAS). The EISAS will include means to notify small and medium-size businesses of IT security threats. According to the article, input from the countries’ delegates at the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) conference this past week will become part of a related, final feasibility study to be published later in June.

“Computer security faces many hurdles,” said Siciliano. “One is the method by which computer users in business learn of threats. In many places, it seems like the news media function as the main channel for alerts—alerts that often come after much damage has already occurred. It’s a reactive system. Uniformity of response, like what the ENISA is working on, takes us a many steps closer to true, proactive response.”

Also on June 5, London-based SurfControl PLC, an Internet security company, posted a press release to announce findings of the firm’s new “Trust & Risk in the Workplace Study.” The report, which explored attitudes toward and behaviors surrounding computer security in the workplace, demonstrated that employees in all regions take security risks, and that mobile users take more risks than desktop users.

For instance, SurfControl’s study found that laptop users took more risks than their deskbound colleagues, and that some laptop users accessed the Internet through potentially insecure network. Risky activities included the use of USB keys and instant messaging, the downloading of music, and the sending of confidential information via email, and two thirds of the sample indicated that they would blame their employers if confidential data were stolen from their work computers.

“Even in business situations, with mobility comes the illusion of less need for security,” said Siciliano. “The exact opposite is the need. With a global alert system, a mobile employee who might otherwise feel free from needing the protection of his employer’s internal firewalls will receive those constant, third-party reminders that will prompt him remain vigilant and to exercise care.”

Readers may view a video of Siciliano at VideoJug, where he discusses identity theft and the security implications of laptop computer use in business.

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About IDTheftSecurity.com
Identity theft affects us all. Robert Siciliano, CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com and member of the Bank Fraud & IT Security Report’s editorial board, 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, CNBC, “FOX News,” NBC’s “Today Show,” “The Suze Orman Show,” “The Montel Williams Show,” “Maury Povich,” “Sally Jesse Raphael,” “The Howard Stern Show,” and “Inside Edition.” The Privacy Learning Institute features him on its Website. Numerous magazines, print news outlets, and wire services have turned to him, as well, for expert commentary on personal security and identity theft. These include Entrepreneur, Woman’s Day, Mademoiselle, Good Housekeeping, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, United Press International, Reuters, and others.

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
CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com
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 & CEO of STETrevisions
PHONE: 617-875-4859
FAX: 866-663-6557
BrentSkinner@STETrevisions.biz
www.STETrevisions.biz

Identity Theft: Unmonitored Data May Be Online and Susceptible to Theft—Identity Theft Expert and Speaker on Personal Security

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(BOSTON, Mass. – June 1, 2007 – IDTheftSecurity.com) Research has suggested that industry has not done enough to secure sensitive data that resides on enterprise networks. According to Robert Siciliano, a widely televised and quoted personal security and identity theft expert, this and other news again raises question regarding how to protect unknown quantities of computerized information in an age of everyday online search.

“Identity thieves continue to have a vast treasure trove of data at their disposal,” said Siciliano. “We need a concerted effort to ferret out and secure the untold amounts of unsecured data that otherwise threaten to become thieves’ bounty after the next massive data breach.”

CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com and a member of the Bank Fraud & IT Security Report’s editorial board, Siciliano leads Fortune 500 companies and their clients in workshops that explore consumer education solutions for security issues. A longtime identity theft speaker and author of “The Safety Minute: 01,” he has discussed data security and consumer protection on CNBC, on NBC’s “Today Show,” FOX News, and elsewhere.

Research suggests that confidential information remains largely unprotected online at most organizations. A report by Enterprise Strategy Group and based on a survey of 227 Information Security professionals at North American public and private organizations has found one-fourth of respondents rating their organizations as “fair” or “poor” with regards to procedures and policies for confidential data.

On May 29, Computer Technology Review (CTR) reported that unmonitored and, perhaps, undocumented records in the form of Word and Excel or with file extensions such as .PST and .PDF comprise about 70 percent to 80 percent of organizations’ data.

Much of this data-at-rest, according to the article in CTR, resides on individual computers’ hard drives, susceptible to theft. Sometimes this data is posted online, and, in a tangentially related development, according to an April 30 article in The Money Times, multiple state governments have made moves to make documents previously unsearchable available to Google users.

“We are dancing on a fine line,” said Siciliano. “The needs of the Freedom of Information Act must be facilitated, but the need to protect information unsuitable, from a security standpoint, for online search is also a priority.”

Readers may view a CNBC video clip, which features Siciliano discussing the perils of data security, here:

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About IDTheftSecurity.com
Identity theft affects us all. Robert Siciliano, CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com and member of the Bank Fraud & IT Security Report’s editorial board, 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, CNBC, “FOX News,” NBC’s “Today Show,” “The Suze Orman Show,” “The Montel Williams Show,” “Maury Povich,” “Sally Jesse Raphael,” “The Howard Stern Show,” and “Inside Edition.” The Privacy Learning Institute features him on its Website. Numerous magazines, print news outlets, and wire services have turned to him, as well, for expert commentary on personal security and identity theft. These include Entrepreneur, Woman’s Day, Mademoiselle, Good Housekeeping, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, United Press International, Reuters, and others.

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