tagged w/ red flags
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Any business, of any size, in any industry, in any location, is a possible target for PII theft and cybercrime if they possess any type of employee, customer or other consumer PII. Most businesses have PII. All businesses with PII need to make sure they provide due diligence to protect that PII.Any business, of any size, in any industry, in any location, is a possible target for... more
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Spoiler alert: There isn’t an effective identity theft protection product. Typically, a company claiming to be an identity theft protection company will provide one or all of these services; access to credit reports, credit monitoring, and database monitoring. Unfortunately, these services cause security problems themselves.Spoiler alert: There isn’t an effective identity theft protection product.... more
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Identity theft is “America’s fastest growing problem” according to a statement made by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimates 10 million Americans are affected each year. Knowing how to protect yourself is vitally important to avoid becoming a victim. The following are arenas where thieves prey:Identity theft is “America’s fastest growing problem” according to a... more
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Your email is as firmly established as an identity as a credit report- it contains details of your finances, address history, and birthday just as a credit report would. Your address book may reveal your mother’s maiden name, and a compromise of the account could easily reveal your tax information or social security number. A compromise of this account could be devastating.Your email is as firmly established as an identity as a credit report- it contains... more
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We have seen a huge increase in job scams over the last few days targeting people making use of classified advertisement sites to look for employment. How do you separate the legitimate job offer from the scam? Here are some quick and easy checks you can do:We have seen a huge increase in job scams over the last few days targeting people... more
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While the word “encrypt” does not occur even once within the ARRA, the guidance that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provides for complying with the HITECH Act portion of the ARRA is full of encryption direction.While the word “encrypt” does not occur even once within the ARRA, the... more
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As part of the shake-up at General Motors, GMAC is now called Ally Bank. Naturally, scam emails are going out asking people to update their old GMAC account record through Ally Bank. DO NOT FOLLOW THE LINK or OPEN THE ATTACHMENT. You will be infected.As part of the shake-up at General Motors, GMAC is now called Ally Bank. Naturally,... more
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People get so upset, understandably, when an organization loses a laptop with SSNs, or has one stolen. But now, upon hearing that crooks don’t even need to steal SSNs, but can just generate them from commonly known information and use them until the victims discover the crimes, it is puzzling why so many people don’t see this as something to be concerned with, and to demand changes for.People get so upset, understandably, when an organization loses a laptop with SSNs, or... more
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Small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) are an attractive target for identity thieves. According to the Institute of Consumer Financial Education (ICFE), SMBs usually qualify for larger lines of credit, “enjoy extended payment terms and less transactional scrutiny for large purchases or high value ticket items than individual customers.”Small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) are an attractive target for identity... more
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On July 29th, as I was following up on a story that flashed across my Twitter stream about 30 certified employees of a school district finding themselves victims of ID theft, I found something that should not have been there...On July 29th, as I was following up on a story that flashed across my Twitter stream... more
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Thieves prey on our deepest and strongest emotions, and two people madly in love and about to take the plunge are certainly full of emotions and stress. Stress makes us more apt to decide quickly, without thinking the situation through. The sense of relief we feel may encourage us to accept an offer that seems “too good to be true” when we might otherwise hesitate.Thieves prey on our deepest and strongest emotions, and two people madly in love and... more
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The majority of Twitter users don’t mind sharing their tweets (i.e. their Twitter updates) with the rest of the world. After all, sharing ones thoughts/actions is at the core of social networks like Twitter, Facebook, MySpace. However, what users often don’t realize is that in aggregate, their tweets paint a picture about who they really are.The majority of Twitter users don’t mind sharing their tweets (i.e. their... more
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Simple social engineering tactics can often be used to get to sensitive information simply by supplying a valid SSN. I know many of the business companies I’ve called, when just doing unscientific tests, started out the call with, “May I have your account number please?” To which I say, “Oh, darn; I don’t have that with me! Could I give you my SSN instead?” And usually they say, “Sure; give me the SSN.” Bingo. Social engineering is powerful and used by many crooks.Simple social engineering tactics can often be used to get to sensitive information... more
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Computerworld reports that one in five companies search social networking sites during the hiring process, although many experts believe that number is much higher. You may think that you’re immune to ID theft or misinformation because you don’t have any MySpace, Twitter or Facebook accounts- but read on and you will find that is far from the truth.Computerworld reports that one in five companies search social networking sites during... more
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Watch TV, listen to the radio, browse websites and walk down the street and you will see fitness and diet industry advertising.
There is a lot of bark and not very much bite but you wouldn't know while checking out some of the advertising.Watch TV, listen to the radio, browse websites and walk down the street and you will... more
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