The extraordinary development of the internet made possible for people to find information about any issue regarding modern life. By simply using a well known search engine such as Google or Yahoo, you have instantly access to a lot of information on different topics. The people do not rely anymore on the old fashioned mail, which needed several days to deliver a letter, but use instead the new electronic services offered by different companies, which transmits information instantaneously through email. It is much easier nowadays to purchase products from shops located hundreds or even thousand of kilometres away from you, and even at cheaper prices. However, these advantages do not came without costs and risks, new type of electronic crimes have appeared and new ways of combating them had to be developed, and this is what we call today the information security system.
Contrary to what people believe, viruses are not the main danger of the Internet world and of the information security in general. Identity theft and personal information violation are the quickest growing infractions related to information security. When financial transactions are made over the Internet using credit cards, or even when personal applications forms are submitted, there is a slightly chance that someone else will interfere with the transaction ,will collect the information and use it for illegal or criminal purposes. There are in general two types of information security risks. First one, when the information transmitted on the internet is intercepted by a "spy" or a hacker, and second one, the emails scam, using a more direct approach.
Fake emails are sent to the customers of well known and respected companies such as PayPal, Ebay, Amazon, which look very much like the real ones. Members of these companies are furthermore asked to provide information about their billing address, credit card or social security numbers, in order to validate their membership. Information security means also being able to distinguish between these "spoof" emails and real ones. While efforts have been made to educate people about the risks of providing information through email or Internet, there are still millions of people which are victims of these scams, most of them complaining about credit card fraud or identity theft. Information security means protecting your private data from being misused by another person. The most troublesome issue of information security system is the identity theft. This appears when someone else illegally uses your name, bank account or social security number for his own benefit. Usually, the victims of identity theft have great difficulties proving their innocence. This process usually lasts months or even years, and the person's reputation is gaining a bad rating, making it extremely hard to obtain further loans, secure credit cards or even get federal jobs.
Despite all the efforts made by the Government in collaboration with law enforcement agencies to obtain a reliable information security system, cyber-crime is still one of the most spread and difficult to combat infraction on the internet. In United States, information security is enforced by the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act emitted by the Federal Trade Commission in 2004 which declares that identity theft is a federal offence. According to recent studies, a new identity is stolen or misused once every 79 seconds. It is imperious necessary to warn the internet users about these issues related to their information security. Everyone should realize that submitting personal information or purchasing orders should be made only via a reliable, secure server connection with a well known merchant or company.
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