counter identity theft

Holiday Tech Gifts – Tips To Play Them Safely [Graphic]

Keeping up with the latest technology can be a challenge for parents this time of year. Kids want all the latest electronic gadgets and sometimes they get them from well meaning Grandparents and relatives. What are you to do when a new device enters the home and you are not quite sure what it can Read more…

Tags: counter identity theft, holiday gifts, holiday shopping, online safety tips, secure new devices, tech gifts

Social Security Number: All-Purpose Identifier

Your Social Security number was never meant to serve the various functions it is used for today. Over the past 70 years, the Social Security number has become our de facto national ID. The numbers were originally issued in the 1930s, to track income for Social Security benefits. But “functionality creep,” which occurs when an Read more…

Tags: counter identity theft, Data Protection, identity fraud, identity fraud scams, identity theft, personal information protection

Introducing: 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen

Yes, it’s a glorious day with the birth of my new book. I’ve spent 15 years in the trenches, reporting on all issues of personal security. Now I’ve taken what I know about protecting your identity and avoiding fraud and packed it all into 99 tips, a quick read of less than 35,000 words. Now Read more…

Tags: 99 things, Consumer, counter identity theft, credit card fraud and protection, credit monitoring and resolution, Cybercrime, data breach, identity fraud, Identity thieves and cybercriminals, personal information protection

Hackers Target Small Business

Big companies and big government get big press when their data is breached. And when a big company is hit, those whose accounts have been compromised are often notified. With smaller businesses, however, victims are often left in the dark, regardless of the various state laws requiring notification. One reason for this is that smaller Read more…

Tags: counter identity theft, credit card fraud and protection, credit monitoring and resolution, Data Protection, identity protection, identity protection surveillance, identity theft expert, Identity thieves and cybercriminals, lost wallet protection, McAfee Identity Protection, personal identity theft fraud

How Is All This Hacking Affecting My Identity?

Without question, 2011 is the year for hackers of all kinds to get their 15 minutes of fame. But it feels like it’s lasting a lot longer than 15 minutes. With so many different breeds of hackers, each with their own agenda and an endless supply of potential targets, the media has certainly been more Read more…

Tags: counter identity theft, credit monitoring and resolution, identity fraud scams, identity protection, identity surveillance, identity theft, identity theft expert, Identity thieves and cybercriminals, McAfee Identity Protection, personal identity theft fraud, personal information protection, proactive identity protection, proactive identity surveillance

Insider Identity Theft Still a Problem

More than ten years ago, when I began speaking to organizations about personal security and identity theft, headlines often read “Utility Worker Steals Identities” or “Human Resource Officers Steal Identities” and even “Police Officer Steals Identities.” Back then the primary concern was insider identity theft, perpetrated by those who had direct access to victims’ data. Read more…

Tags: counter identity theft, credit card fraud and protection, credit monitoring and resolution, Data Protection, identity fraud, identity fraud scams, identity protection, identity protection $1 million guarantee, identity protection surveillance, identity theft, identity theft expert, Identity thieves and cybercriminals, lost wallet protection, McAfee Identity Protection, personal identity theft fraud, personal information protection, proactive identity protection, proactive identity surveillance

Bill Would Remove Social Security Numbers From Medicare Cards

The most basic advice for protecting your own identity is to protect your Social Security number. The obvious solution is simply never to disclose your number, but this is silly, since, depending on your age, you have probably provided it to hundreds of people, on hundreds of forms. It now sits in hundreds of databases, Read more…

Tags: counter identity theft, credit card fraud and protection, credit monitoring and resolution, Data Protection, identity fraud, identity fraud scams, identity protection, identity protection $1 million guarantee, identity protection surveillance, identity surveillance, identity theft, identity theft expert, Identity thieves and cybercriminals, lost wallet protection, McAfee, McAfee Identity Protection, personal identity theft fraud, proactive identity protection, proactive identity surveillance

Researchers Say Identity Theft Has Lasting Psychological Effects

Identity theft victims don’t need Jessica Van Vliet, an assistant professor in counseling psychology at the University of Alberta, to tell them that they no longer feel safe when conducting everyday financial transactions, which most of us take for granted. But she did a study highlighting a fact that many of us in the industry Read more…

Tags: counter identity theft, credit card fraud and protection, credit monitoring and resolution, Data Protection, Family Safety, identity fraud, identity fraud scams, identity protection, identity protection $1 million guarantee, identity protection surveillance, identity surveillance, identity theft, identity theft expert, Identity thieves and cybercriminals, lost wallet protection, McAfee, McAfee Identity Protection, personal identity theft fraud, proactive identity surveillance, social networking

Cybercriminals Target Senior Citizens

Cyber scams happen to the young and the old, the rich and the poor. It doesn’t matter how good or bad your credit is, or whether or not you have a credit card. Cybercriminals target everyone, regardless of how much or how little you rely on a computer. The lowest of the lowlifes, however, tend Read more…

Tags: counter identity theft, credit card fraud and protection, Family Safety, identity fraud, identity fraud scams, identity protection, identity protection surveillance, identity theft, Identity thieves and cybercriminals, personal identity theft fraud, personal information protection, proactive identity surveillance

Online Gamers Risk Credit Card Fraud

The Sony Corporation has been providing consumers with stellar electronics since before the introduction of the Walkman. The past six months have been harsher for Sony, with attacks by hacktivists and numerous breaches of clients’ data. Many recent breaches involved usernames, passwords, email addresses, and in some cases, credit card numbers. Each compromised data point Read more…

Tags: counter identity theft, credit card fraud and protection, credit monitoring and resolution, data breach, Data Protection, Family Safety, identity fraud, identity fraud scams, identity protection, identity protection surveillance, identity theft, identity theft expert, Identity thieves and cybercriminals, proactive identity protection, proactive identity surveillance