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Take Control of Your Personal Information to Avoid Identity Theft

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personally identifying information, like your name, Social Security number, or credit card number, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes.

Identity theft is serious.  It can cost you time and money.  It can destroy your credit and ruin your good name.

Skilled identity thieves use a variety of methods to steal your personal information, including:

  • Dumpster Diving. They rummage through trash looking for bills or other paper with your personal information on it.
  • Skimming. They steal credit/debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card.
  • Phishing. They pretend to be financial institutions or companies and send spam or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information.
  • Changing Your Address. They divert your billing statements to another location by completing a “change of address” form.
  • “Old-Fashioned” Stealing. They steal wallets and purses; mail, including bank and credit card statements; pre-approved credit offers; and new checks or tax information. They steal personnel records from their employers, or bribe employees who have access.

So, what can you do?

Deter identity thieves by safeguarding your information.

-Shred financial documents and paperwork with personal information before you discard them.

-Protect your Social Security number.  Don’t carry your Social Security card in your wallet or write your Social Security number on a check.  Give it out only if absolutely necessary or ask to use another identifier.

-Don’t give out personal information on the phone, through the mail, or over the Internet unless you know who you are dealing with.

-Never click on links sent in unsolicited emails; instead, type in a web address you know.  Use firewalls, anti-spyware, and anti-virus software to protect your home computer; keep them up-to-date.

-Don’t use an obvious password like your birth date, your mother’s maiden name, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.

-Keep your personal information in a secure place at home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help, or are having work done in your home.

Detect suspicious activity by routinely monitoring your financial accounts and billing statements.

Be alert for:

-Bills that do not arrive as expected

-Unexpected credit cards or account statements

-Denials of credit for no apparent reason

-Calls or letters about purchases you did not make

Inspect:

-Your credit report.  Credit reports contain information about you, including what accounts you have an your bill paying history.  Under federal law, you are entitled to a free credit report each year from each of the three main credit bureaus:  Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.  Visit www.AnnualCreditReport.com to ask for a copy.

-Your financial statements.  Review financial accounts and billing statements regularly, looking for charges you did not make.

If you suspect identity theft:

  • Contact the fraud deportments of each of the three major credit bureaus. Tell them to flag your file with a fraud alert including a statement that creditors should get your permission before opening any new accounts in your name. In a few months, order new copies of your reports to verify your corrections and changes, and to make sure no new fraudulent activity has occurred.
  • Contact the creditors and tell them if your account has been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Ask to speak with someone in the security or fraud department. After your conversation, follow up in writing. Its required by the Fair Credit Billing Act for resolving errors on credit billing statements, including charges that you have not made.
  • File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place. Keep a copy in case your creditors need proof of the crime.
  • Report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission. Your report helps law enforcement officials across he country in their investigations. Visit ftc.gov/idtheft.

Armed with the knowledge of how to protect yourself and take action, you can make identity thieves’ jobs much more difficult.  You can also help fight identity theft by educating your friends, family, and members of your community.

Filed Under: Identity Theft

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Don’t Be Fooled: Learn How to Effectively Erase Computer Files

Authors: Mindi McDowell, Matt Lytle – US Computer Emergency Readiness Team

Before selling or discarding an old computer, or throwing away a disk or CD, you naturally make sure that you’ve copied all of the files you need. You’ve probably also attempted to delete your personal files so that other people aren’t able to access them. However, unless you have taken the proper steps to make sure the hard drive, disk, or CD is erased, people may still be able to resurrect those files.

Where do deleted files go?

When you delete a file, depending on your operating system and your settings, it may be transferred to your trash or recycle bin. This “holding area” essentially protects you from yourself–if you accidentally delete a file, you can easily restore it. However, you may have experienced the panic that results from emptying the trash bin prematurely or having a file seem to disappear on its own. The good news is that even though it may be difficult to locate, the file is probably still somewhere on your machine. The bad news is that even though you think you’ve deleted a file, an attacker or other unauthorized person may be able to retrieve it.

What are the risks?

Think of the information you have saved on your computer. Is there banking or credit card account information? Tax returns? Passwords? Medical or other personal data? Personal photos? Sensitive corporate information? How much would someone be able to find out about you or your company by looking through your computer files? Depending on what kind of information an attacker can find, he or she may be able to use it maliciously. You may become a victim of identity theft. Another possibility is that the information could be used in a social engineering attack. Attackers may use information they find about you or an organization you’re affiliated with to appear to be
legitimate and gain access to sensitive data.

Can you erase files by reformatting?

Reformatting your hard drive or CD may superficially delete the files, but the information is still buried somewhere. Unless those areas of the disk are effectively overwritten with new content, it is still possible that knowledgeable attackers may be able to access the information.

How can you be sure that your information is completely erased?

Some people use extreme measures to make sure their information is destroyed, but these measures can be dangerous and may not be completely successful. Your best option is to investigate software programs and hardware devices that claim to erase your hard drive or CD. Even so, these programs and devices have varying levels of effectiveness. When choosing a software program to perform this task, look for the following characteristics:

  • data is written multiple times – It is important to make sure that not only is the information erased, but new data is written over it. By adding multiple layers of data, the program makes it difficult for an attacker to “peel away” the new layer. Three to seven passes is fairly standard and should be sufficient.
  • use of random data – Using random data instead of easily identifiable patterns makes it harder for attackers to determine the pattern and discover the original information underneath.
    use of zeros in the final layer – Regardless of how many times the program overwrites the data, look for programs that use all zeros in the last layer. This adds an additional level of security. While many of these programs assume that you want to erase an entire disk, there are programs that give you the option to erase and overwrite individual files.
  • An effective way to ruin a CD or DVD is to wrap it in a paper towel and shatter it. However, there are also hardware devices that erase CDs or DVDs by destroying their surface. Some of these devices actually shred the media itself, while others puncture the writable surface with a pattern of holes. If you decide to use one of these devices, compare the various features and prices to determine which option best suits your needs.

Filed Under: Data Destruction

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Better Business Bureau’s Top 9 Tips for Safe Online Shopping

1) Protect your computer: Install a firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Check for and install the latest updates.

2) Shop trustworthy websites: Look for the BBB seal and other widely-recognized “trustmarks” on retail websites. Click on the seals to confirm they’re valid.

3) Protect personal information: Read a site’s privacy policy and understand what personal information is being requested and how it will be used. If no policy is posted, that’s a red flag that they may sell your information without your permission.

4) Beware of too-good-to-be-true deals: Offers on websites and in unsolicited e-mails may offer extremely low prices on hard-to-get items. There may be hidden costs – or your purchase may sign you up for a monthly charge. Look for and read the fine print.

5) Beware of phishing: Legitimate businesses do not send e-mails claiming problems with an order or account to lure the buyer into revealing financial information. If you receive such an e-mail, the BBB recommends picking up the phone and calling the contact number on the website where the purchase was made to confirm any problem with the transaction.

6) Confirm that your online purchase is secure: Look at the website address or URL in the box at the top of your browser screen. There should be an “s” after “http” or a lock symbol in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. If you have doubts about security, right-click anywhere on the page, and select “Properties” to see the real URL. The dialog box should say whether the site is encrypted.

7) Pay with a credit card: Under federal law, you can dispute the charges if you don’t receive the item. Shoppers also have dispute rights if there are unauthorized charges on the card, and many card issuers have “zero liability” policies if someone steals your card number and uses it. Never wire money.

8) Keep documentation of your order: Save a copy of the confirmation page or e-mails confirming the order until you receive the item and are satisfied.
Check your credit card statements often: The BBB recommends that you check your account regularly for suspicious activity by going online or calling your credit card company. Make sure statements match up with purchases you know you made.

9) Know your rights: Federal law requires that orders made by phone, mail or online be shipped by the date promised, or within 30 days if no delivery time was stated. If goods are not shipped on time, shoppers can cancel and demand a refund. Consumers also may reject merchandise if it is defective or if it was misrepresented.

For more information about shopping safely online, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website at www.onguardonline.gov.

Filed Under: Security

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Document Shredding Company Employee Eyed in ID Theft Ring

SDDStL shreds everything while you watch, before we leave; so this can never happen. More Companies (especially some larger ones) are pushing their customers to allow them to shred materials Off-site. The lower cost of providing the service allows them to improve their profit margins.

Document Shredding Company Employee Eyed in ID Theft Ring

Filed Under: Identity Theft

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