Identity Theft Expert: MyLaptopGPS Announces “Realtime Estimated Damage Index” (REDI) to Show Cost of Laptop Thefts in 2008 Surpassing $300 Million

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(BOSTON, Mass. – Feb. 21, 2008 – IDTheftSecurity.com) MyLaptopGPS™, provider of Internet-based GPS tracking software for stolen mobile computing equipment, today announced the Realtime Estimated Damage Index (REDI), visible at the company’s website. The REDI, a continually updating, cumulative total of high-profile laptop and desktop computer thefts and losses, has estimated the damage, or cost, of computer thefts in 2008 already to be $309,318,519. This number reflects the likelihood that identity theft and other crimes will occur when a laptop is lost, said widely televised and quoted personal security and identity theft expert Robert Siciliano.

“The cost of laptop computer theft far exceeds the amount of money it takes to replace the lost hardware and software,” said Siciliano. “Many laptop computers store sensitive data that gives thieves who know what to do with it the ability to assume the computer owner’s identity and commit fraud in the victim’s name. This is where the real damage from laptop computer theft lies, and the cost is significant.”

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.

In 2002, a Computer Security Institute/FBI Computer Crime & Security Survey calculated the actual financial loss of a laptop theft to be $89,000. A 2003 Annual Computer Crime and Security Survey placed the average loss even higher, at $250,000. These numbers reflect a combination of factors such as legal follow-up and identity theft, either of which can lead to financial catastrophe. Drawing on the more conservative of these baselines, the REDI’s damage estimation for just two months’ worth of laptop thefts in 2008 dwarfed the cost of the $9.95 monthly subscription to MyLaptopGPS’s software, which also retrieves and deletes sensitive data from machines while they’re missing.

MyLaptopGPS combines Internet-based GPS tracking — which, for tracking and retrieving stolen laptops, is more effective than other forms of GPS — with other functionalities to secure mobile computing devices. Users launch MyLaptopGPS’ features remotely, protecting 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.

“Being a Resources Management Company with traveling employees,” said Eric Ruis of Proximity W.L.L., “we needed a rock solid system that didn’t merely protect our company assets and data, but could also recover our assets and data if necessary. We needed multiple layers of security for our laptops, and that brought us to MyLaptopGPS. Their service has bent over backward to meet our needs and now we rest comfortably, knowing we have six full layers of effective protection and the ability to monitor and protect our laptops — from anywhere.”

MyLaptopGPS also offers SafeRegistry™, a comprehensive system for inventorying entire fleets of mobile computers, as well as a full line of highly renowned SafeTags™, which are police-traceable property tags designed to secure iPods, cell phones, BlackBerry devices, and other mobile property.

A downloadable demo of MyLaptopGPS is available. The October 2007 issue of Bank Fraud & IT Security Report, a newsletter published only in hard copy, ran “The Seven Layers of Laptop Security,” an article by Siciliano and Yost. A white paper adaptation of that article is available from MyLaptopGPS.

“The theft rate of unsecured laptops is twelve and a half percent,” said Dan Yost, chief technology officer at MyLaptopGPS, “whereas the theft rate of a MyLaptopGPS-equipped mobile computing device is less than half a percentage point. The product not only acts as a strong deterrent; the prospects are also strong for finding a MyLaptopGPS-secured machine.”

Readers may view YouTube video below of “NBC 7 Chicago” footage featuring Yost delivering comments for a televised news report that covered the April 2007 theft of two laptops that stored 40,000 Chicago Public School teachers’ Social Security numbers.

According to USA Today, theft of personal data more than tripled in 2007. Below, readers may view video of Siciliano discussing this news on the new “FOX Business” network. To learn more about identity theft, a major concern for anyone who’s lost a laptop computer to thieves, 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 “The Today Show,” CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, “FOX News,” “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 Forbes, USA Today, 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, blog, and YouTube page.

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 Expert and Speaker on Personal Security: Recent Data Breaches Affect a Total of Nearly One Million Consumers as Industry Fights Legislation

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(BOSTON, Mass. – Feb. 14, 2007 – IDTheftSecurity.com) Data records lost or compromised as the result of just four security breaches reported last month left nearly one million consumers possibly at risk of identity theft and related crimes. The scope, scale, and consequences of these data losses throw into question large companies’ parallel efforts to blunt the strength of proposed data breach–notification legislation, said Robert Siciliano, a widely televised and quoted personal security and identity theft expert.

"January wasn’t the only month that saw hundreds of thousands of consumers’ sensitive information go missing to thieves," said Siciliano. "And apparent carelessness and lack of concern on the part of businesses everywhere is a major factor leading to these kinds of breaches. Furthermore, with the exception of token yearlong access to free credit report monitoring, consumers end up with the bill. For industry then to fight legislation aimed at protecting these same consumers is unconscionable."

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. An experienced 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," on FOX News, and elsewhere.

Already, data breaches have plagued numerous organizations in 2008, which has seen 28 incidents since the beginning of January, according to sources cited in a Jan. 30th article by InformationWeek. Just four of the many breaches in January saw a total of nearly one million consumers’ data records go missing:

  • A Jan. 18th article in InformationWeek reported that a backup data tape had gone missing at an Iron Mountain Inc. storage facility in October. The tape contains identifying data on 650,000 customers of retailers such as J.C. Penney and around 100 others, the article said, and belongs to GE Money USA, the company that processes credit card purchases for the various merchants involved. About 150,000 Social Security numbers are among the data on the tapes, the InformationWeek article and a Jan. 28th write-up in Computerworld both noted.
  • A Jan. 30th report from InformationWeek indicated that "sophisticated network intrusion" had compromised a computer database belonging to Davidson Companies. The breach affected data records on 226,000 current and past clients of the Montana-based financial services holding company, the article said.
  • As noted by Computerworld on Jan. 29, earlier that month T. Rowe Price had begun to inform a number of current and former customers that a data breach had occurred involving their sensitive data. A computer belonging to CBIZ Benefits and Insurance Services Inc., a third-party tax-preparer, had gone missing to thieves, according to the Computerworld report, which went on to say the machine housed about 35,000 T. Rowe Price customers’ Social Security numbers and corresponding names.
  • On Jan. 24, the Fort Worth, TX–based Star-Telegram reported that an "international gang of cyber criminals [had] hacked into" the computers of that city’s OmniAmerican Bank. Fewer than 100 accounts were directly affected, according to a bank spokesperson quoted in the article, but the Star-Telegram went on to note that OmniAmerican had issued new debit cards to about 40,000 customers.

Various state legislatures, including California’s, have regrouped their efforts to fight the hemorrhaging of data by proposing tougher laws that govern "how businesses and government agencies should notify consumers when…personal data is stolen or exposed," a Feb. 4th article in InformationWeek notes. At the same time, according to a Feb. 5th blog posting on CNET.com, large industry players such as Microsoft, Verizon, and AT&T are working to block similar legislation under consideration in the Indiana State Senate.

"One million is a very large number," said Siciliano. "And, at this very early date in 2008, the total number of lost or missing data records is actually much higher. A smart organization recognizes the value of looking out for its customers’ best interests and of nurturing the perception that it in fact does so. But nobody wins when industry fights good-faith legislative efforts that endeavor to help customers who have no say over how large companies handle and secure data."

Readers may view YouTube video below of Siciliano on "FOX News," where he explains how the ubiquity of Social Security numbers as universal identifiers helps thieves online and off-line. Those wishing to learn how to protect themselves against identity theft, a major concern for anyone who has fallen prey to online scammers, may 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 "The Today Show," CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, "FOX News," "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 Forbes, USA Today, Entrepreneur, Woman’s Day, 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

MyLaptopGPS and Identity Theft Expert: Loss of Laptops Belonging to Health Insurers Have Placed Hundreds of Thousands at Risk of Medical Identity Theft

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(BOSTON, Mass. – Feb. 7, 2008 – IDTheftSecurity.com) News reports over the past month indicated that the loss of laptop computers from just three health insurance organizations placed hundreds of thousands of data records in the hands of thieves. All firms with fleets of mobile computing devices need technology like MyLaptopGPS™, which both tracks and deletes sensitive data from missing machines, said Robert Siciliano, a widely televised and quoted personal security and identity theft expert.

“Thefts of laptop computers form health insurance organizations is nothing new,” said Siciliano. “Plenty of examples of this stretch back over the past several years. But familiarity should not breed complacency. If anything, medical information is among the worst types of data to be lost to thieves. For instance, a fraudulently obtained clean health record might help someone with pre-existing conditions get health insurance. The right kind of medical record might qualify other thieves for prescription drugs they should have no access to.”

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.

Laptop thefts from three health insurance companies made news over the past month:

  • The Associated Press reported on Jan. 30 that Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield had notified 10 percent of its New Jersey customer base of a laptop computer theft. The machine stored more than 300,000 records containing customers’ names, Social Security numbers, and other information. On the same day, InformationWeek noted that Horizon Blue Cross had invoked a security feature that, according to an unnamed spokesperson for the company, “destroys all the data on the stolen computer” (a functionality MyLaptopGPS shares).
  • A Jan. 25th article in the Boston Herald reported that a laptop computer containing information on Medicare information on nearly 30,000 customers of Fallon Community Health had gone missing to thieves. Names, dates of birth, some diagnostic information and medical ID numbers were on the machine, which belonged to a third-party contractor that manages Fallon’s medical claims. Medical ID numbers, a report from the previous day in Boston Business Journal said, are sometimes based on Social Security numbers.
  • On Jan. 22, the Connecticut Post Online reported the theft of a mobile computer from Health Net, Inc., a large, U.S.-based managed health care provider. The machine contained Social Security numbers and other identifying data on an undisclosed number of Health Net employees, the article noted, quoting a spokesperson saying the “problem… could affect several thousand people.” The report went on to quote another health insurance professional, who noted that physicians are “major targets for embezzlement and identity theft.”

“Effective technology for laptop computer security can be exceedingly inexpensive to purchase and easy to install,” said Dan Yost, chief technology officer at MyLaptopGPS. “Organizations that leave their highly vulnerable mobile computing devices bereft of security technology have little reason to do so. At an affordable price that dwarfs the potential cost of just one laptop theft, MyLaptopGPS secures an entire laptop computer fleet against theft.”

MyLaptopGPS combines Internet-based GPS tracking — which, for tracking and retrieving stolen laptops, is more effective than other forms of GPS — with other functionalities to secure mobile computing devices. Users launch MyLaptopGPS’ features remotely, protecting 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.

MyLaptopGPS also offers SafeRegistry™, a comprehensive system for inventorying entire fleets of mobile computers, as well as a full line of highly renowned SafeTags™, which are police-traceable property tags designed to secure iPods, cell phones, BlackBerry devices, and other mobile property. A downloadable demo of MyLaptopGPS is available.

The October 2007 issue of Bank Fraud & IT Security Report, a newsletter published only in hard copy, ran “The Seven Layers of Laptop Security,” an article by Siciliano and Yost. A white paper adaptation of that article is available from MyLaptopGPS.

Readers may view YouTube video below of “NBC 7 Chicago” footage featuring Yost delivering comments for a televised news report that covered the April 2007 theft of two laptops that stored 40,000 Chicago Public School teachers’ Social Security numbers.

According to USA Today, theft of personal data more than tripled in 2007. Readers may view video of Siciliano below discussing this news on the new “FOX Business” network. To learn more about identity theft, a major concern for anyone who’s lost a laptop computer to thieves, readers may go to video of Siciliano at VideoJug.

###

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 “The Today Show,” CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, “FOX News,” “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 Forbes, USA Today, 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, blog, and YouTube page.

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