Identity Theft Solution

Speaker Biography for Branch Walton

January 18, 2010 – 3:49 pm

Branch is currently Associate Dean of Student Services, Henley Putnam University. This on-line university specializes in professional studies in Intelligence, Protection Management and Terrorism-Counterterrorism studies for military, law enforcement, security and intelligence professionals. He was formerly the Manager of Safety and Security Compliance at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

Mr. Walton has more than 40 years direct experience in federal law enforcement, private security and college teaching. He retired from the United States Secret Service after a 21-year career.

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Data Breaches: The Insanity Continues

January 11, 2010 – 4:58 am

San Diego, CA  (January 8, 2010):  In 2009, the Identity Theft Resource Center® Breach Report recorded 498 breaches, less than the 657 in 2008, more than the 446 in 2007.   Are data breaches increasing or decreasing?  That is the question no one can answer.  This fact will not change until there is a single data breach list requiring mandatory public reporting.   With some breaches not being reported publicly, and some state Attorneys General not allowing public access to reported breaches, we doubt that anyone is in a position to answer the question above.   When we allow laws to be created requiring breach reporting but not disclosure, and provide minimal enforcement or penalty for non-compliance, we can expect a lack of public disclosure.   Counting breaches becomes an exercise in insanity.

ITRC collects information about data breaches made public via reliable media and notification lists from various governmental agencies.   There are breaches that occurred in 2009 that never made public news.   So rather than focus on a question without an answer, ITRC used percentages to analyze the 498 breaches recorded this year looking for any changes or new trends.   (Both raw numbers and percentages have been provided in the charts).

The main highlights are:

• paper breaches account for nearly 26% of known breaches (an increase of 46% over 2008)
• business sector climbed from 21% to 41% between 2006 to 2009, the worst sector performance by far
• malicious attacks have surpassed human error for the first time in three years
• Out of 498 breaches, only six reported that they had either encryption or other strong security features protecting the exposed data

In 2009, the business sector increased to 41% of all the publicly reported breaches.   While there are

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2010 Resolutions

January 5, 2010 – 5:55 am

(December 31, 2009) Here we are again, getting ready to face a new year. Time to set those dreaded New Year’s resolutions. You know, lose the 10 pounds, give up the chocolate, quit smoking, and win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Along with the breaking of some bad habits, now is the time to take on some new habits to protect you against identity theft. The ITRC offers the following top 10 resolutions you can make in 2010:

1. Lock up your social security card! Get it out of your wallet! Put this valuable card, along with all other important personal documents, in a safe, locked box or safety deposit box. <

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Red Flag Rules delayed … yes, again

December 28, 2009 – 5:48 pm

It’s impossible to write about the Red Flag Rules without an apologetic “stop me if you’ve heard this one before” preface. So don’t shoot the messenger, but the deadline for the Feds’ identity-protecting Red Flag Rules has been delayed. The newest deadline—the fifth—replaces the January 1 deadline with one of June 1, 2010.

Congress created the program in 2003 in an attempt to stem the tide of identity theft by forcing creditors to use a common sense approach to identity theft prevention. It was original

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Express Script hackers update: 1,700 added to victim list

December 17, 2009 – 8:19 pm

Apparently, hackers stole even more of Express Scripts’ member information than was initially revealed last fall. An additional 1,771 New Hampshire residents are being sent data breach notification letters this week, according to a September 14 letter from Express Scripts.

Express Scripts, one of the world’s largest pharmacy benefits management companies, revealed in November 2008 that hackers demanded ransom in exchange for stolen customer information. Unl

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Evil ID theft elves

December 9, 2009 – 1:09 am

Contrary to popular belief, not all of Santa’s elves are jovial, industrious toymakers; there are also evil elves that take temporary holiday retail jobs to commit ID theft and credit fraud. And, they’ll steal your identity in less time than it takes Santa to slip down the chimney.

Big retail stores hire as many as 50 new employees during the holiday season, and many of them don’t get vetted as thoroughly as year-round workers. Addin

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