By Julie Knubley
Increasingly, insiders (disgruntled employees) who have access to databases in the workplace are committing identity theft. Often they sell victims' personal data to street criminals who use it to commit the crime. While companies are so consumed with protecting customer information, securing employee's sensitive information gets thrown on the backburner. Because of the lack of protection of employee records, they are a prime target for thieves, who may very well work in the cubicle down the hall or right next to you. Worst of all, the thief may be a co-worker you have lunch with.
Employees' stealing from employees is much more common these days. Everyday information collected through job applications, data maintained in personnel files, or used to provide healthcare benefits are more likely to be used by thieves, then information provided by customers when purchasing products and services. This reminds me of how scared people are to give out their credit card numbers and such; when in all reality, it's their fellow co-workers that they should maybe be more frightened by. How does that old saying go? You can't trust anybody!
Once inside a company, identity thieves seem to have a fairly easy time obtaining the right amount of information about employees to rent apartments, buy cars, and apply for credit cards. Oddly enough, these perpetrators do not necessarily have to be in highly trusted management positions in the company to have access to information that may be very sensitive, however, we have all heard and read stories about crooked executives who abused their authority.
One of the most common methods to obtain access to employee data files is to seek employment as a temporary worker. These positions last just long enough to grab the sensitive information they need and disappear. The applicants are unknown to the company and are given access to company systems without the background checks or other controls used in hiring permanent employees. Does this make any sense to you? Basically, this is the same as allowing a complete stranger to stay the night at your house while you're gone! I understand that background checks cost companies money, however, if I were the boss I would much rather pay the fee now, than run the risk of a potential breach.
Disgruntled former employees who leave the company intending to do harm, or current employees with access to data files that are left unsupervised for long periods of time, also pose a severe threat to companies. Even cleaning crews have been found to rummage through desks and trashcans after hours, searching for receipts, bills, and other information. I hold the same feelings towards house keeping at hotels. I never keep anything in my room that could potential cause me harm if obtained by a stranger. Employees at third-party vendors providing services relating to the human resource function also pose a huge threat. A recent survey has found that the risk of confidential data being lost or stolen is 43% higher when it is outsourced rather than held in-house.
Organizations can take several steps to protect the confidentiality of their employees' information, including the following: Conduct background and criminal checks on prospective employees who will have access to personal information, only hire temporary workers that have had background checks, restrict access to personal information to those employees on a need to know basis, keep an eye on temporary workers' activities at all times, provide cross-cutting shredders for employees to dispose of personal, customer, and fellow employee information, use other identification numbers other than Social Security Numbers to identify employees in computer systems and in their health plans, train staff with access to personal information about keeping that information secure and the risk involved when not doing so. It is always a good idea to keep personal information in locked file cabinets and password protected computer files. If at all possible, refrain from giving anyone else access to your file and computer.
Companies can limit the amount of damage done to the potential victim by quickly identifying the breach when it occurs. Alerting those individuals whose information may have been compromised as soon as possible is crucial. Minimizing the losses for both the employee and the organization are the ultimate goal.
Hello, my name is Julie and I am an ID Theft Specialist for SOLUS Identity Theft Protection. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have. Please visit our website at http://www.solusid.com to learn more about Identity Theft and Identity Theft Protection. Check out our blog at http://www.oneidproblog.com to join the discussion. Knowledge is power!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julie_Knubley
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
Can Credit Monitoring Really Fight Identity Theft?
By Charles Perez
Protection against identity theft is one of the biggest concerns for consumers today and rightly so, this crime has shown a progressive growth over the last few years, spiking in numbers of cases on holiday seasons. For today's busy consumers, it may be confusing whether to simply buy identity theft insurance or sign up for credit monitoring. Either way people are looking for peace of mind when it comes to the security of their identity. But it's important that you as consumer don't get too comfortable with your decision to opt for either one of these choices until you understand what the service really does.
Credit monitoring is an important piece in the equation of total identity theft protection, which involves this and other aspects. Credit monitoring services may emphasize the importance of protecting against credit fraud, but as mentioned above, identity theft involves more than just your credit or the monitoring of your credit report.
Let's quickly analyze what a credit monitoring service does for you. Companies that offer this service, usually also offer additional services, and often it is your credit card company that offers the service of watching after your credit card transactions in order to detect credit fraud, but they may fail to mention that it is only the credit card you have with them that they're watching after, but still call it credit monitoring. Yes, a savvy marketing trick.
Companies that offer true credit monitoring have the task of monitoring your credit report from all three credit bureaus, although that's not always the case. So it's important that you ask and get a clear answer to whether they monitor all three credit bureaus or only one, how often they monitor your credit, what exactly the monitor and how many times can you request a copy of your report. If there is a limit, any additional requests will cost you extra fees.
So this credit monitoring service will typically cover:
New accounts being opened under your name
Credit inquiries
Address changes
Collections accounts
Negative changes on your credit report
Closed accounts
Credit line increases
It can certainly be very useful to know when some of these activities take place on your credit report, so any additional service that can be included to this list of features at no additional cost would be a plus. But the question remains, Can credit monitoring really fight identity theft? Well that all depends on who you ask, a credit monitoring company may insist that this is what you want if you're looking for identity theft protection.
The correct answer is: "Not if you're looking to cover every aspect of your identity". Our identities are not based on our credit reports alone. When identity theft strikes it isn't always through credit fraud. With the convenience of the internet, there are so many opportunities for identity thieves to get an easy pay day.
To answer the question in a different way, credit monitoring can not stop identity theft, it can only inform you of the illegal activities once they have started so that you can take immediate action. Yes you can certainly minimize the length of the damage by acting quickly, but something has to happen for you to take action.
What's a better option? Since you are considering outsourcing the monitoring of your personal information, then don't dismiss the possibility of becoming a victim of identity theft in other ways, such as medical identity theft, or having utility and phone accounts opened in your name. These are aspects that credit monitoring can not help you with. So instead do some research on what identity theft really is, how it happens and what ways people can be victimized besides credit fraud. You may be shocked to find out how your identity can be used.
The take away message here is for you to take action and become proactive in the protection of your own identity. Once you do your research and assess your own risks then begin your search for a system of total identity theft protection, only then will you have peace of mind.
Need more direction? Visit us at IdLockNetwork.com to download a Free Identity Theft Prevention Guide. If you need to start protecting your identity now, review our top Identity Theft Protection Services providers and begin automating the process to protect your identity today. Please take some time to study the content at IdLockNetwork.com and send us your feedback and questions. Remember that only you are responsible for your information, no one else can take proactive steps to secure it like you can.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Perez
Protection against identity theft is one of the biggest concerns for consumers today and rightly so, this crime has shown a progressive growth over the last few years, spiking in numbers of cases on holiday seasons. For today's busy consumers, it may be confusing whether to simply buy identity theft insurance or sign up for credit monitoring. Either way people are looking for peace of mind when it comes to the security of their identity. But it's important that you as consumer don't get too comfortable with your decision to opt for either one of these choices until you understand what the service really does.
Credit monitoring is an important piece in the equation of total identity theft protection, which involves this and other aspects. Credit monitoring services may emphasize the importance of protecting against credit fraud, but as mentioned above, identity theft involves more than just your credit or the monitoring of your credit report.
Let's quickly analyze what a credit monitoring service does for you. Companies that offer this service, usually also offer additional services, and often it is your credit card company that offers the service of watching after your credit card transactions in order to detect credit fraud, but they may fail to mention that it is only the credit card you have with them that they're watching after, but still call it credit monitoring. Yes, a savvy marketing trick.
Companies that offer true credit monitoring have the task of monitoring your credit report from all three credit bureaus, although that's not always the case. So it's important that you ask and get a clear answer to whether they monitor all three credit bureaus or only one, how often they monitor your credit, what exactly the monitor and how many times can you request a copy of your report. If there is a limit, any additional requests will cost you extra fees.
So this credit monitoring service will typically cover:
New accounts being opened under your name
Credit inquiries
Address changes
Collections accounts
Negative changes on your credit report
Closed accounts
Credit line increases
It can certainly be very useful to know when some of these activities take place on your credit report, so any additional service that can be included to this list of features at no additional cost would be a plus. But the question remains, Can credit monitoring really fight identity theft? Well that all depends on who you ask, a credit monitoring company may insist that this is what you want if you're looking for identity theft protection.
The correct answer is: "Not if you're looking to cover every aspect of your identity". Our identities are not based on our credit reports alone. When identity theft strikes it isn't always through credit fraud. With the convenience of the internet, there are so many opportunities for identity thieves to get an easy pay day.
To answer the question in a different way, credit monitoring can not stop identity theft, it can only inform you of the illegal activities once they have started so that you can take immediate action. Yes you can certainly minimize the length of the damage by acting quickly, but something has to happen for you to take action.
What's a better option? Since you are considering outsourcing the monitoring of your personal information, then don't dismiss the possibility of becoming a victim of identity theft in other ways, such as medical identity theft, or having utility and phone accounts opened in your name. These are aspects that credit monitoring can not help you with. So instead do some research on what identity theft really is, how it happens and what ways people can be victimized besides credit fraud. You may be shocked to find out how your identity can be used.
The take away message here is for you to take action and become proactive in the protection of your own identity. Once you do your research and assess your own risks then begin your search for a system of total identity theft protection, only then will you have peace of mind.
Need more direction? Visit us at IdLockNetwork.com to download a Free Identity Theft Prevention Guide. If you need to start protecting your identity now, review our top Identity Theft Protection Services providers and begin automating the process to protect your identity today. Please take some time to study the content at IdLockNetwork.com and send us your feedback and questions. Remember that only you are responsible for your information, no one else can take proactive steps to secure it like you can.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Perez
Saturday, December 6, 2008
How to Reduce Your Exposure to Identity Theft
By John Rasor
You may not know that you are a victim until you are denied a loan, credit card or anything else the requires a credit report. Suddenly you discover someone has opened accounts in your name and of course not paid them. What could you have done?
BUY A SHREDDER You can find a small easy to store shredder for less that $20 at almost any office supply store. There is no reason not to have one of these. Any document that includes personal information or your Social Security number should be shredded before you throw it away. Believe it or not there are folks out there that are regular dumpster divers. Shredding your documents makes it impossible for thieves to steal your account numbers.
KEEP YOUR FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS HIDDEN AND SECURE You would think that most people are perfectly trustworthy but some are not. Is it possible that an appliance repair man, handy man or even a guest in your home could access your personal financial documents? Not if they are under lock and key!
PROTECT OUTGOING MAIL Think of everything that goes in your mail. Checks give potential thieves your name, bank account number and routing number. Credit card account numbers are listed on the very coupons they mail each month to send your payments in. You do not want this stuff to get in the wrong hands. If you haven't graduated to the great convenience of on line bill paying you should consider dropping off your bills at the nearest post office rather than leaving it out in your mail box where anyone can get it. Make sure your online bill pay offers encryption and other security measures to keep your transactions safe from criminals.
BE CAUTIOUS OF SOLICITORS Don't give out your credit card number, Social Security number, or any sensitive financial information by email and don't do it by phone unless you initiated the contact. Make sure you trust the business before divulging any information.
OPT OUT OF CREDIT CARD AND JUNK MAIL SOLICITATIONS The three major credit bureaus have a toll free number (888-5OPT-OUT) that allows you to take your name off marketing lists that are sold to credit card companies. Registering will not eliminate all credit card solicitations, but will cut down the volume quite a bit. The less offers you get in the mail means less chances thieves will have to steal them. There was a reported 10 million cases of identity theft last year alone. Don't let it happen to you. Reduce your exposure by following these simple tips.
http://www.creditscorecowboy.com
CreditScoreCowboy.com is the one of the most unique on-line resources for free credit score reports, Identity theft protection software, and a BLOG with a wealth of personal credit information. The information within this website is written by professionals that know about credit.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Rasor
You may not know that you are a victim until you are denied a loan, credit card or anything else the requires a credit report. Suddenly you discover someone has opened accounts in your name and of course not paid them. What could you have done?
BUY A SHREDDER You can find a small easy to store shredder for less that $20 at almost any office supply store. There is no reason not to have one of these. Any document that includes personal information or your Social Security number should be shredded before you throw it away. Believe it or not there are folks out there that are regular dumpster divers. Shredding your documents makes it impossible for thieves to steal your account numbers.
KEEP YOUR FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS HIDDEN AND SECURE You would think that most people are perfectly trustworthy but some are not. Is it possible that an appliance repair man, handy man or even a guest in your home could access your personal financial documents? Not if they are under lock and key!
PROTECT OUTGOING MAIL Think of everything that goes in your mail. Checks give potential thieves your name, bank account number and routing number. Credit card account numbers are listed on the very coupons they mail each month to send your payments in. You do not want this stuff to get in the wrong hands. If you haven't graduated to the great convenience of on line bill paying you should consider dropping off your bills at the nearest post office rather than leaving it out in your mail box where anyone can get it. Make sure your online bill pay offers encryption and other security measures to keep your transactions safe from criminals.
BE CAUTIOUS OF SOLICITORS Don't give out your credit card number, Social Security number, or any sensitive financial information by email and don't do it by phone unless you initiated the contact. Make sure you trust the business before divulging any information.
OPT OUT OF CREDIT CARD AND JUNK MAIL SOLICITATIONS The three major credit bureaus have a toll free number (888-5OPT-OUT) that allows you to take your name off marketing lists that are sold to credit card companies. Registering will not eliminate all credit card solicitations, but will cut down the volume quite a bit. The less offers you get in the mail means less chances thieves will have to steal them. There was a reported 10 million cases of identity theft last year alone. Don't let it happen to you. Reduce your exposure by following these simple tips.
http://www.creditscorecowboy.com
CreditScoreCowboy.com is the one of the most unique on-line resources for free credit score reports, Identity theft protection software, and a BLOG with a wealth of personal credit information. The information within this website is written by professionals that know about credit.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Rasor
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