Blog Safety – Identity Theft and Protection
The identity theft topic has been leading the headlines in the last few months, and in my home state of Arizona identity theft is a top priority for the county attorney due to the large number of reported incidents. Arizona is the worst in the country (statistically) for identity theft with approximately 140-plus cases for every 100K citizens (Source: Consumer Sentinel) . I have been personally affected by this in the past.
Blogger Responsibilities
You are, no doubt, a successful blogger and have compiled a list of followers which may or may not include private demographic information. When selling e-books or information-based products its your responsibility to protect your audience and/or customers. You can do this by discussing online risks and limiting the amount of personal information that you hold. Although I haven’t tried to sell anything on my blog if I did, I would likely do it via a reputable service with buyer protection guarantees.
New Protection
A new service from buySAFE provides up to $25,000 in coverage for online buyers. In addition to the monetary protection you receive identity theft protection and rating tools for online stores. These ratings and automated protections include all major shopping sites such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, and eBay. I personally could use some protection on Ebay because I have lost money via poor purchases from bad sellers. Additionally, if you are a Firefox user, which I am, there is a handy toolbar plug-in.
Government Action
Although the government is constantly behind the technology eight-ball, they appear to be trying. Here is a wonderfully cheesy video on phishing, courtesy of onguardonline.gov (onguardonline is sponsored by American tax dollars , use it). I actually found several useful government resources listed on the buySAFE web site.
If your identity is stolen
The FBI website has some good advice on what to do if you think your identity has actually been stolen. They also provide Do’s and Don’ts of identity protection. There are a list of things you should do immediately if your identity has been compromised. You should :
- Notifying one of the national credit bureaus;
- Experian 888-397-3742
- Trans Union 800-888-4213
- Equifax 800-685-1111.
- Contact all your creditors and financial institutions ;
- Contact the police department and FBI field office;
- File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
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Comments
Sorry to hear that you have been a victim of identity theft, however, it doesnt surprise me at all. With 1 in 25 people becoming a new victim every 4 seconds…..it was bound to happen to someone you know or someone they know. Because identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America, my family and I have invested in identity theft protection. After doing extensive research on just about every company, we decided to go with SOLUS. Not only is their program one of a kind, their website is very informative and the people that work there are real people. I actually talk to a real person each time I call, which I value. Check their website out for yourself. I dont think you can put a price on piece of mind. I view this protection just as I view health and car insurance..wouldnt be without it! http://www.solusid.com
These data breaches and thefts are due to a lagging business culture. I found some fresh and original thinking from the author of “IT Wars” – http://www.businessforum.com/DScott_02.html – I urge every business person and IT person, management or staff, to get hold of a copy of “I.T. Wars: Managing the Business-Technology Weave in the New Millennium.” It has an excellent chapter on security, and how to scale security for any organization, any budget. It also has a plan template with all considerations. Our CEO has read this book. Our project managers are on their second reading. Our vendors are required to read it (they can borrow our copies if they don’t want to purchase it). Any agencies that wish to partner with us: We ask that they read it. Do yourself a favor and read this book – BEFORE you suffer a breach.