Identity Theft: P2P Networks Invite Online Thieves—Identity Theft Expert and Speaker on Personal Security

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(BOSTON, Mass. – May 21, 2007 – IDTheftSecurity.com) Robert Siciliano, a personal security and identity theft expert, has demonstrated on television how file-sharing programs can render the contents of a computer’s hard viewable to online thieves. A new study has now shown that peer-to-peer network users may be inadvertently contributing to security breaches.

“Parents should beware when their children share music and other files over the Internet,” said Siciliano. “But a corporation should also be leery of employees doing likewise; they may be unwittingly inviting cyberthieves into the company’s proprietary databases.”

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 in InformationWeek, researchers from Dartmouth University’s Tuck School of Business released findings on May 15 suggesting that corporate data breaches trace back to peer-to-peer (P2P) network usage by employees.

According to the study, the number of P2P users, already at 4 million in 2003, has more than doubled since. Furthermore, the researchers said efforts by officials to surveil, monitor, and dissuade the use of P2P networks in the workplace have failed to keep pace with these networks’ ever-evolving, decentralized nature.

In April, Siciliano was on “FOX 25,” the network’s Boston, Mass. affiliate, to demonstrate how P2P networks allow criminal to obtain the information needed to commit identity theft. Viewers may view his appearance below:
Meanwhile, high-tech and low-tech security holes have continued to plague industry and government:

On May 17, the Associated Press reported that the Georgia Department of Human Resources had informed 140,000 parents of newborns that medical staff in the state had failed to shred documents containing personal information including Social Security numbers.

According to the May 16 edition of ConsumerAffairs.com, data tapes belonging to IBM Corp. and containing current and former employees’ identifying information went missing as an unidentified vendor transported the files to IBM’s headquarters.

“Sensitive data is everywhere,” said Siciliano. “We must do a better job of protecting and securing it. Unless we constantly improve our countermeasures, thieves will find and use our identifying information—whether they find it on a computer or in a wastebasket.”

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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

Identity Theft: Expert Lauds Massachusetts’ New Credit Freeze Law—Identity Theft Expert and Speaker on Personal Security

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(BOSTON, Mass. – May 18, 2007 – IDTheftSecurity.com) Last week, both houses of the Massachusetts legislature passed versions of a bill that grants residents of the state the right to freeze access to their credit reports. Robert Siciliano, a widely televised and quoted personal security and identity theft expert, said consumers’ access to the credit freeze is an indispensable component of any identity theft–fighting strategy.

“The credit freeze is a basic right essential to consumers in this age of rampant identity theft,” said Siciliano. “Consumers are often the first to realize that someone is using their financial information without permission. The credit freeze is a weapon that empowers consumers to stop these identity thieves’ and credit card fraudsters’ illegal activities quickly and easily.”

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.

On May 10, the Massachusetts Senate passed a version of a credit freeze bill that the state’s House of Representatives had passed a day earlier, giving consumers the right to the credit freeze. The bill also required entities operating from that point forward in Massachusetts to disclose breaches of security that result in the purloining of sensitive data such as Social Security numbers and credit card information.

“Here we have a state finally putting two key pieces of the identity theft–fighting puzzle in place,” said Siciliano. “But ‘finally’ is the operative word. The pace of progress has been slow for state and federal legislation alike. The entire nation has needed credit freeze access and compulsory breach disclosure laws for a long time.”

Playing a key role in the reporting of a highly publicized security breach at ChoicePoint, Inc. in early 2005, California’s SB 1386 has for a number of years obligated organizations conducting business in that state to make similar, prompt disclosures of data breaches. And a majority of the nation’s states have preceded Massachusetts in making the credit freeze available to their residents.

Despite their utility as empowering weapons against identity thieves, various sources have indicated that the popularity of credit freezes among consumers has lagged. According to the Consumer Data Industry Data Association, “only about 50,000 people have requested freezes,” reported the Boston Globe on May 12.

“Lack of popularity is no reason to disallow the credit freeze,” said Siciliano. “If anything, consumers may be unaware of this tool’s availability. Consumer education must become a paramount initiative, and the onus of responsibility for this must fall upon the credit reporting agencies.”

Recently, Siciliano appeared on CNBC to discuss credit and debit card scams.

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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

Identity Theft: Federal Task Force Provides Good Recommendations Too Late—Identity Theft Expert and Speaker on Personal Security

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(BOSTON, Mass. – May 7, 2007 – IDTheftSecurity.com) In late April, the Federal Identity Theft Task Force, formed last year to investigate this crime, released findings and recommendations. According to Robert Siciliano, a widely televised and quoted personal security and identity theft expert, the announcement was one more example of government bureaucracy seemingly unable to counter identity theft in a timely manner.

“Identity theft happens fast,” said Siciliano. “Ask anyone who’s been a victim. A year’s time at the mercy of an identity thief could mean a life’s savings gone. While we need government intervention to stop identity theft, we also need it to happen on identity theft’s timetable, not a bureaucracy’s.”

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.

On April 23, President Bush’s Federal Identity Theft Task Force, led by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Federal Trade Commission Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras, announced its recommendations. The 190-page report addressed a wide spectrum of data and computer crime and its effects, calling for tougher laws against some identity theft–related crimes; longer prison sentences, in some cases, for those who steal electronic data; and improved monetary compensation for victims of identity theft.

One recommendation of note calls for the development of a federal law to supersede state laws that currently require data brokers, or any company, to inform the public when data breaches of certain magnitudes occurs. Thirty-five states already have such laws. One notable example is California’s SB 1386, which compelled ChoicePoint, Inc. to report a massive data breach in early 2005.

On April 20, SearchSecurity.com reported the on the activities of security industry lobbyists, the Cyber Security Industry Alliance, who have claimed that a preponderance of differing state laws makes data breach reporting costly to manage. The group has called for a simplification and nationalization of these requirements.

Although the report addressed these, and many of the other, issues Siciliano champions, he said government works too slowly to combat identity theft.

“Work to complete this report began nearly a year ago,” said Siciliano. “And now it will probably go through another year’s worth, at least, of committee hearings and debates in Congress before anything even remotely resembling it becomes law. In the meantime, thousands, maybe millions, of U.S. citizens have, or will have, fallen prey to identity thieves. A meaningful response to identity theft demands law enforcement initiatives rooted in law. But the system that gets us there is unable to get us there quickly enough.”

Recently, Siciliano appeared on CNBC to discuss credit and debit card scams. Readers may view his appearance 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

Identity Theft: Data Breaches Throw Electronic-Payment Security and Customer Loyalty into Question—Identity Theft Expert and Speaker on Personal Security

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(BOSTON, Mass. – April 26, 2007 – IDTheftSecurity.com) Recently released industry research has suggested that consumers are apt to stop shopping at retailers that suffer data breaches. The obvious alternative, according to Robert Siciliano, a widely televised and quoted personal security and identity theft expert, is for retailers to avert data breaches altogether by implementing Payment Card Industry (PCI) data-security standards. But he expressed concern over reports that retailers may be too unorganized to comply.

“Data breaches won’t stop by themselves,” said Siciliano. “Identity thieves and credit card fraudsters look for the point of least resistance and then exploit it. The retail industry ought to be well along in efforts to standardize security measures designed to dissuade hackers and social engineers from breaching customers’ data. Anything less will eventually cause customers to distrust the stores they frequent.”

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.

On April 11, Javelin Strategy & Research announced the results of a study on how data breaches affect consumer behavior, finding that 77% of the consumers surveyed intend to stop shopping at merchants that suffer from data breaches. Yet The Associated Press reported soon thereafter that TJX Cos., which recently suffered a data breach exposing “45.7 million credit and debit cards to potential fraud,” experienced a 6 percent rise in sales in March. Javelin’s Website quoted the analyst who authored the report as surmising that consumers’ promises to punish a retailer for lack of security may be flummoxed by their inability to “differentiate who it is that’s doing a better job of protecting their data.”

“Retailers play a dangerous game with lax security,” said Siciliano. “With every breach, we get closer to the tipping point, beyond which consumers will reflexively and precipitously leave retailers as data breaches occur.”

See Roberts April 24th MSNBC appearance on credit card fraud.

A March 29 article in Digital Transactions quoted electronic-payment experts expressing concern that large retailers’ apparent inability to meet PCI data security standards means small merchants’ prospects are no better, and perhaps worse.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone through a large store’s checkout line, used a credit card, and never been asked for accompanying identification,” said Siciliano. “This is a simple employee training issue. Cash register attendants must verify the signature and identity of every customer who buys with a credit or debit card.”

“Attention to compliance in electronic-payment security standards is critical,” said Siciliano, “and I’ve witnessed some of the best adherence to simple security policy at small shops, not large department stores belonging to national chains.”

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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, 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.” 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

Identity Theft: Phishers May Use Recent College Shootings to Solicit Donations—Identity Theft Expert and Speaker on Personal Security

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(BOSTON, Mass. – April 22, 2007 – IDTheftSecurity.com) The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team has issued a warning that the recent mass murder at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University may spawn phishing sites. Robert Siciliano, a widely televised and quoted personal security and identity theft expert, has urged citizens not to let their goodwill blind them to questionable, unsolicited e-mails that request their identifying information and donations. He said reputable organizations rarely send unsolicited e-mails for such purposes.

“It happened after the Tsunami disaster in early 2005 and, again, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina,” said Siciliano. “The U.S.-CERT’s warning makes perfect sense. There’s no reason to think phishers will, this time, refrain from preying upon our nation’s goodwill for financial gain. Tragedy never stops them; in fact, it only motivates them—to steal.”

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.

According to the U.S.-CERT warning, the organization “has received reports of an increased number of phishing sites set up in the wake of tragedies and natural disasters.” U.S.-CERT recommended Web visits to the Anti-Phishing Working Group, an organization that tracks and documents known phishing scams.

Readers may view Siciliano’s most recent appearance on “FOX News,” during which he provided insight regarding the tragedy’s aftermath and advice on how college students can protect themselves from violence. See here on YouTube:

“No reputable disaster relief organization is going to send unsolicited blast e-mails asking recipients to provide identifying information and money,” said Siciliano. “Citizens should immediately delete such e-mails. Legitimate, legally-operating groups typically appear on the news to encourage volunteerism or to provide viewers with a secure URL designed to accept contributions and information.”

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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

Identity Theft: Retail Store Data Breach Affects Millions of Consumers, Including a Widely Quoted Identity Theft Expert and Speaker on Personal Security

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(BOSTON, Mass. – April 16, 2007 – IDTheftSecurity.com) Market analysts have predicted that the massive theft of customers’ financial data at TJX Cos. may cost billions. The data breach has claimed millions of victims, including Robert Siciliano, a widely televised and quoted personal security and identity theft expert. Promptly refuting related, fraudulent charges to his bank account and taking swift action to halt the criminals’ ability to use his credit cards, he urged all consumers who have shopped at the many affected stores to monitor their financial information closely.

“I am a victim of this data breach,” said Siciliano. “My credit card information was among the many records these thieves obtained. No single consumer can prevent credit card fraud. It’s impossible. But I’m fine with being a victim, and I caught the foul play by watching my account, just as I advise all my clients to do with theirs.”

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.

Upon receipt of his bank and credit card statements each month, Siciliano always scrutinizes every charge. In doing so with his latest statements, he immediately recognized unauthorized charges, telltale signs that fraudsters had gained access to his finances, and promptly refuted them.

“Shortly after I cancelled my card, I received a new one,” said Siciliano. “These are steps that many consumers, at their own peril, may not be taking.”

Recent news has suggested that consumers indeed are not taking advantage of tools that might protect their financial information. An article in Network World reported on April 10 that fewer than 10 percent of the approximately 163,000 consumers affected by the ChoicePoint data breach in 2005 used the free credit monitoring, credit reports, and identity-theft insurance the company offered.

Data breaches can be costly to a company that experiences them. Findings from Forrester Research reported in InformationWeek on April 11 have pegged the cost of an average data breach at anywhere from $90 to $305 for each compromised record. An article that ran in the Boston Globe on April 12 quoted technology analysts from Enterprise Strategy Group and elsewhere saying the TJX breach, which news reports have said exposed 45.7 million credit card numbers to potential fraud, could cost the retailer up to $1 billion.

“Data breaches are costly, plain and simple,” concluded Siciliano. “Whether the potential financial hit from a data breach seems manageable, the potential loss of customer loyalty is never worth the gamble. Companies and consumers are actors in a symbiotic relationship, after all; they depend on one another. But companies depend on consumers more than the other way around. ” See recent CNBC appearance;

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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

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

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(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.”

###

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

Identity Theft Can Lead to the Most Devastating Instances of Mortgage Fraud—Identity Theft Expert and Speaker on Personal Security

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(BOSTON, Mass. – April 4, 2007 – IDTheftSecurity.com) The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) have recently added to their joint efforts against mortgage fraud. Robert Siciliano, a widely televised and quoted personal security and identity theft expert, encouraged their cooperation and pressed for more action. According to Siciliano, identity thieves can be behind the most devastating instances of mortgage fraud.

“The most devastating instances of mortgage fraud are mixed with identity theft,” said Siciliano. “Imagine not only having to beware of shyster mortgage lenders, but of someone else getting a home in your name. I encourage law enforcement agencies and the banking industry to take as much action as possible.”

President of IDTheftSecurity.com, Siciliano leads Fortune 500 companies and their clients in workshops that explore consumer education solutions for data 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.

In response to a near doubling of yearly mortgage fraud–related Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) since 2004, the FBI and the MBA entered into an agreement to combat Mortgage Fraud. According to a March 8th news release, the law enforcement agency and lending association will make a Mortgage Fraud Warning Notice available.

Mortgage fraud received much attention in March:

On March 29th Associated Press reported that Beazer Homes USA Inc. had “received a grand jury subpoena for documents as part of a federal investigation of possible fraud in the company’s mortgage lending practices and other financial transactions.”

A report to be released in April by the Mortgage Asset Research Institute is expected to show increases in mortgage fraud across the nation. According to a March 28th article in The Salt Lake Tribune, the report will rank Utah as No. 1 in mortgage fraud for 2006 (the year the report analyzes).

The March 28th edition of the Boston Herald reported statements from the Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley. Under existing laws in the state, lenders that are not banks commit only a civil offense with mortgage fraud. The AG’s proposal, if adopted, would subject these lenders to criminal charges for a widespread form of the activity.

A March 13th article in The Sun News reported that South Carolina’s Department of Consumer Affairs has called for a “crackdown on mortgage fraud.”

“These and other efforts to put a stop to mortgage fraud are commendable,” concluded Siciliano. “But we must take more action. The prevalence of identity theft makes recent increases in the filing of SARs all the more worrisome. We must track down, and shut down, not only mortgage fraudsters, but identity thieves. The last thing we want is for the two to exploit their synergies.”

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About IDTheftSecurity.com
Identity theft affects us all, which is why Robert Siciliano, president 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
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Identity Theft–Fighting Legislation May Also Improve Consumer Perceptions—Identity Theft Expert and Speaker on Personal Security

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(BOSTON, Mass. – March 27, 2007 – IDTheftSecurity.com) Research into consumer behavior and perceptions has found that consumers are more apt to shop where they perceive data security to be strong. Robert Siciliano, a widely televised and quoted personal security and identity theft expert, said governments themselves may also be at risk of losing the trust of constituencies. According to Siciliano, action from the U.S. Congress and recent identity theft–related legislation in Texas and California may affect trends identified in the study’s findings, released in March by a California-based research organization.

“What we see with this and other studies’ findings is common sense validated by research,” Siciliano said. “Of course consumers are going to shop where they think data security is highest. This is nothing new—nor is the idea that legislation forcing industry to improve data security might change consumer perceptions in ways that belie industry’s propensity to resist new rules.”

President of IDTheftSecurity.com, Siciliano leads Fortune 500 companies and their clients in workshops that explore consumer education solutions for data security issues. 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.

The study from Javelin Strategy & Research also revealed that consumers think retailers share an equal responsibility with banks, credit card companies, processors, and cardholders themselves for protecting credit and debit card account information. But this seemed to bear little on shopping decisions. According to Javelin’s March 8 news release, only 20 percent of the survey’s 1,200 randomly sampled respondents, all credit or debit cardholders, said they would likely continue shopping at a store if they learned it had a data breach that may have compromised their card account information; nearly 78 percent, in fact, would be unlikely to continue to shop there.

Meanwhile, activity from state governments and in the U.S. Congress pointed to new and possible legislation:

· As reported in Insurance Journal on March 23, the Texas House of Representatives passed a bill, HB 887, extending the statute of limitations for identity theft crimes from three years to seven.

· On March 25, an article in the California Progress Report indicated that California’s assembly was deliberating a bill, AB 1168, to end the state’s practice of selling its own residents’ Social Security numbers to data brokerages.

· The New York Times reported that the Senate Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on terrorism, technology, and homeland security held hearings on March 21 to discuss proposed bills. One aims to require all companies to inform consumers when a data breach has occurred; the other endeavors to curtail use of Social Security numbers and make their misuse criminal.

“When you look at consumer perceptions about data security and identity theft,” Siciliano concluded, “it’s difficult not to conclude that we’ve reached a tipping point. Perceptions die hard, and we may have reached the point where, in order to retain the business of customers, industry actually needs the legislation it typically resists.”

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About IDTheftSecurity.com
Identity theft affects us all, which is why Robert Siciliano, president 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.IDTheftSecurity.blogspot.com; 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

Personal Security and Identity Theft Expert Says New Research on Identity Theft’s Prevalence and Financial Cost Reveal Challenges for Industry

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(BOSTON, Mass. – March 19, 2007 – IDTheftSecurity.com) Studies released in February and earlier this month juxtaposed a rise in identity thefts with a decrease in the financial hit Americans incurred for those thefts. Robert Siciliano, a widely televised and quoted personal security and identity theft expert, said the findings spelled both good and bad news for those combating identity thieves.

“With any market boom, legal or illegal,” Siciliano said, “promises of lucrative earnings will convince people of many stripes to try their hands at something new. While some research suggests that consumers may be wising up to identity theft, catching thieves before the damage is done, thieves have only redoubled efforts. More thieves than ever are now trying twice as hard.”

President of IDTheftSecurity.com, Siciliano leads Fortune 500 companies and their clients in workshops that explore consumer education solutions for data security issues. The Privacy Learning Institute has featured Siciliano, a longtime speaker on identity theft. 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.

On Feb. 1, Reuters reported data from Javelin Strategy & Research, a California-based provider of business and market intelligence, showing an 11.9 percent decline in total identity theft–related financial losses that Americans experienced in 2006 vs. in 2005.

Javelin’s research also showed a modest decrease in the number of Americans who learned that “criminals committed fraud with personal data such as credit card or Social Security numbers,” as the Reuters article put it. The 2005 number, according to Javelin, was 8.9 million, whereas the 2006 number dropped to 8.4 million; Javelin’s number for 2003 was 10.1 million.

On March 7, CNET News.com reported a report whose findings were, in some ways, at odds with Javelin’s. The study, from Gartner, found that the number of Americans who fell prey to identity theft–related fraud in 2006 was 15 million. This was a 50 percent increase over the 9.9 million Americans that the Federal Trade Commission estimated, in 2003, would be affected by 2006.

Siciliano likened the situation, as Gartner’s research portrays it, to the housing market boom: “Countless real estate agents join brokerages every day, and just because the realty market is now shrinking doesn’t mean all those new realtors won’t try to make sales. They will, in fact, try twice as hard.”

Of the differences between Javelin’s and Gartner’s studies, Siciliano said, “We’re mixing apples and oranges. Fraud involving credit cards and Social Security numbers is detrimental, for sure, but also a problem different than identity theft. Some numbers pertain exclusively to identity theft, while others represent online auction fraud.”

“We’re also discussing billions of dollars for a population, the United States’, that barely clears 300 million,” Siciliano concluded. “Stratospheric losses like those are unacceptable. Even if the multibillion dollar number were to halve itself many times over, too many Americans would still face the possibility of a fleecing at the hands of an identity thief.

“If we are to believe the worst that the latest research suggests,” Siciliano concluded, “then the situation is dire indeed. But even if the best possible scenario that these findings suggest is the case, the situation is still abysmal.”

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About IDTheftSecurity.com
Identity theft affects us all, which is why Robert Siciliano, president 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, or his blog, www.IDTheftSecurity.blogspot.com.

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