| The lack of importance that is given to information securITy should be worrying to each of us. There is a continually growing phenomenon, referring to individuals who obtain and sell private information. Take into consideration the following advice in order to prevent such unpleasant sITuation and improve your information securITy.
The easiest way for an ex-help desk worker to break the information securITy was to use his posITion at a credIT checking company in order to get the personal information of thousands of clients. He worked wITh an accomplice so as to sell the info to an identITy theft ring. The ring gave in return the names and social securITy numbers of the people whose identITies they later adopted. IT seems that the worker used the codes he had received as an employee to access credIT reports. And this is just an example of what can happen. So how is this possible? Even if you do everything in your powers to ensure your information securITy, even if you destroy the documents containing personal information or keep track of credIT reports, you cannot be sure. The truth is that the effectiveness of your information securITy can be guaranteed only by the organization protecting IT.
Stealing an identITy implies the identification of another person's private information (such as name or social securITy number) and the use of IT for commITting fraud. IT is true that many variations of this crime have occurred, but still, the most common things and identITy theft can do are the following: open new credIT card accounts, take over existing accounts, steal money from existing accounts, apply for loans, rent apartments, establish services wITh utilITy companies, wrITe fraudulent checks, file bankruptcy and get jobs using the victim's identITy. Such identITy theft rings usually approach to people who work wIThin an organization, thus being able to crack the information securITy. Another method of the thieves is for them to try to get as close as possible to the information securITy by searching employment where they have access to personnel records, credIT reports or other sources of personal information. The usual amount of money thieves offer per identITy is between $20 and $60. The realITy is that nowadays, no organization can take any risks when IT comes to dealing wITh information securITy and identITy thefts. There are some measures organizations have tried in order to reduce the identITy thefts: They stopped throwing intact documents which contain private info to the dumpster. The new rule is: first shred, then throw away. They try to limIT the temporary agencies that the company makes use of. The best thing would be to keep the services of only one trusted firm. The staff is thoroughly trained as far as information securITy goes and recently, information has been included on the topic in new employee orientations. The staff is now educated on certain procedures and how to protect information. The opportunITies favorable for educating employees on information securITy and what to do if they become victims are increasing in number: new employee orientations, annual staff orientations, training conferences, workshops, departmental meetings, or even brown-bag lunch training sessions, which have proved to be rather helpful. Also, IT is important that not only the employees are educated, but the clients too. This is why methods to protect oneself against identITy theft should be promoted by any means: posters, newsletter articles, e-mails, video presentations, brochures or booklets. Bear in mind that identITy theft is nothing but an opportunITy crime. Be aware and vigilant so as not to create opportunITies.
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