Identify Theft in the Cyber Age Ronald J. Leach
What we ’ re going to talk about – Identity Theft How bad is it? How bad is it? How vulnerable are you? How vulnerable are you? How can you protect yourself? How can you protect yourself? How to recover from identity theft How to recover from identity theft
People take ID theft seriously
How bad is Identity Theft?
Identity Theft: Not just bank accounts and credit cards Not just bank accounts and credit cards Mortgages taken out Mortgages taken out Medical Identity Theft Medical Identity Theft Loss of pensions Loss of pensions
How much money? Median loss for ID theft victims: $31,356 Median loss for ID theft victims: $31,356 Average: $5,740 Average: $5,740 (2007 data)
How Bad is Medical Identity Theft Over 250,000 Americans victims in 2007 Over 250,000 Americans victims in ,000 tax returns filed using stolen Social Security numbers in ,000 tax returns filed using stolen Social Security numbers in 2011
Protecting information
Senior discount
Pay by credit card?
Where are the records sent? Kept?
Where is your data vulnerable?
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Can it happen?
Data breaches
Data breach notification laws: Force firms to handle costs of a breach: notification letters customer support call centers free credit monitoring
Data breach notification laws: Only 2% of data breaches lead to ID theft Approx 90% of cost born by banks, … Notices may be ignored
Data breaches
Cryptography is essential for secure data transfer What does "Setec Astronomy “ mean? What does "Setec Astronomy “ mean?
Cryptography is essential for data transfer What does "Setec Astronomy “ mean? What does "Setec Astronomy “ mean? "Too many secrets “ "Too many secrets “ from the movie SNEAKERS from the movie SNEAKERS
Cryptography is ancient, and new Shave head, write message, let it grow Shave head, write message, let it grow Encoding: 128-bit is better than 64-bit, … Encoding: 128-bit is better than 64-bit, …
Poe ’ s The Gold Bug
Navaho code talkers
German Enigma machine
WiFi, 3G, 4G, …?
RFID
Spyware
Spyware, malware are problems
PAMEIOB
How much does an annual credit report cost?
How much does an annual credit report cost? Nothing! AnnualCreditReport.com AnnualCreditReport.com
First steps if your identity is at risk Contact financial institutions or companies; tell them you ’ re a victim of ID Theft Contact the credit reporting agencies to request a fraud alert Other help from hotels, cruise lines, …
Second steps Report the crime to your local police Get a copy of police report Keep copies for resolving complaints Contact FTC for information
Thank you!