by Rob Thomson

The non-stop flow of stories involving lost personal data and identity theft continues.  Every once in awhile we’ll see a story that brings a new perspective to the table.  This "Top 5 Tips" article focuses on the fact that while stolen government computers and evil internet boogeymen are the sexy culprits, a potential source that can represent equally dangerous crimes of opportunity (not to mention negligence and liability!!) may be right under your nose.  The article is a quick read and basically suggests creative but logical thinking: a little diligence on a day-to-day basis in removing the opportunity minimizes the threat, and potential liability.

by Rob Thomson

You’ve heard it many times but this is a lesson that bears continual repeating:  the terms "phishing" and "identity theft" have become standard components of our daily lexicon, to the extent that they are now almost cliche.  Just being aware of these terms can give us a false sense of security: "yes, that recurring email from eBay I could set my watch by is clearly a hoax - I recognize a scam when I see it."  However, the criminal mind is constantly retooling its bag of tricks.  This article discusses the very recent AT&T data breach and draws a clear picture of what can happen when personal data is compromised, and how partial information can be used in a phishing scam to make us unwitting participants in our own financial demise.

The lesson that bears repeating: ALWAYS get an independent validation of the requesting source before providing personal or account information.  If the request for information is unsolicited or unexpected, contact the organization through a channel independent of that which they contacted you and confirm the request is legitimate and the exact nature and purpose for which it will be used before providing information.