Kroll Fraud Solutions Blog – A Dialogue on Data Security

It’s once again the time of year when consumers are making plans to visit relatives, host festive get-togethers, and, of course, hit the stores (or computer) for some marathon shopping. In fact, if the sales circulars are any indication, it seems as though the holiday shopping season is starting earlier than ever –long before the traditional Black Friday kickoff that is familiar to most of us.  Unfortunately, the flurry of activity that goes hand-in-hand with the holidays presents a prime opportunity for a data thief to go unnoticed.  With that in mind, consumers and retailers alike need to be certain that they are putting the protection of sensitive personal information at the very top of their respective holiday to-do lists.

Tip #3 Know what to look for when checking your credit report. Consumers are frequently reminded to check their credit reports for “suspicious activity,” but what exactly does this mean? And what’s the best way to go about obtaining your credit report?

You can obtain a report from the Annual Credit Report Request Service, which was established pursuant to the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA). You can obtain a free credit report once every 12 months from each of the credit reporting agencies (CRAs). This can be done online at www.annualcreditreport.com. Kroll suggests obtaining the reports one at a time at regular but staggered intervals to provide snapshots of your current credit history throughout the year.  Everyone should review their credit reports, even if they have not applied for credit recently – just because you are not using your identity to obtain credit doesn’t mean someone else isn’t.

A data breach can occur many ways. Even a data “warehouser,” who has implemented a policy to minimize data collection and retention while making necessary data accessible in a secure environment, may still be subject to a data breach. A data breach may still occur by accident or through malice even when a well written policy and procedure is adhered to seriously by computer users. Data is only as safe as the trustworthiness and reliability of the organization’s users.

Young adults often make poor choices when it comes to social networking; so, many people argue that the younger generation simply doesn’t care about their own privacy. However, a recent survey refutes that argument – entitled How Different are Young Adults from Older Adults When it Comes to Information Privacy Attitudes and Policies?, it reveals little evidence that young adults’ attitudes toward privacy are fundamentally different from those of older adults. What the data did show, however, was that a higher proportion of 18-24 year olds believe (incorrectly) that information privacy laws protect their data both online and offline than do other age groups.

Ten tips for fax safety

As we discussed in the last two posts in this series, you can see how even mundane office equipment can pose a serious security risk. Part of the security battle here is simply understanding the issue, because the technology already exists to help you erase your fax or copier hard drive. So, are you safeguarding against what amounts to pure error?

As it turns out, there are several steps you and your staff can take to reduce the risk of misdirected faxes: