Lost laptop computers may cost you more than you realize

Posted by Caitlin on July 2nd, 2008

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The recent Ponemon Institute survey, commissioned by Dell, sheds light on just how many laptops are lost or stolen at U.S. airports. At 36 major airports, lost laptops total more than 10,000 a week. When smaller airports are taken into account as well, the total number of lost laptops rises to 637,000 a year. Laptops are most frequently lost at security checkpoints. Less than 35% of those lost laptops are ever recovered.

Unfortunately, despite the fact that 53% of travelers surveyed said that their laptops contained confidential company information, 65% make no attempt to protect that information. 77% said they would have no hope of recovering a laptop lost at the airport, and 16% wouldn’t even try.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission recommends using tracking devices like Absolute Software’s LoJack, which can help track down the location of a stolen laptop.

There are many services that can help ease the inconvenience and potential risk that occur when a laptop is lost. An online backup service will ensure that you still have copies of your important files. If you have sensitive personal and financial information stored on your laptop, an identity theft protection service will help prevent and detect identity theft. And if your identity is stolen, a credit monitoring service will alert you regarding any changes to your credit report. When laptop theft and loss is so common, why not take steps ahead of time to prevent some of the worst possible consequences?

• Data Breach Alert: Stolen laptop impacts Virginia school employees
• Is online data storage the secret to eliminating many data breaches?
• WalletLock takes the worry out of losing your wallet
• Data Breach Alert: Nevada government agency loses personal data of job seekers
• Data Breach Alert: Over 200 child identities exposed in UK

The U.S. government contradicts its own advice about Social Security numbers

Posted by Caitlin on July 2nd, 2008

The Federal Trade Commission and the Social Security Administration warn, “Protect your Social Security number. Don’t carry your Social Security card in your wallet or write your Social Security number on a check.” But at least 44 million Medicare insurance cards include the beneficiary’s full Social Security number.

Charlene Frizzera, chief operating officer of the nation’s Medicare agency, said it would be too expensive to change the existing system. “Our advice is, don’t carry it with you unless you know you’re going to need it,” Frizzera said of the government insurance card, despite the fact that the back of the card itself reads, “Carry your card with you when you are away from home.”

8 million Defense Department identity cards used by active duty and reserve forces and their dependents, as well as ID cards issued to military retirees also display Social Security numbers. The Pentagon plans to remove the numbers by 2014.

And when taxpayers use the mail to file their taxes, rather than e-filing, the Internal Revenue Service instructs them to write their Social Security numbers on their checks. While the IRS states that it will not reject checks missing the Social Security number, it has no plans to change the instructions.

A Social Security number alone is all a criminal needs to open fraudulent credit accounts using a victim’s identity. An identity theft protection service is the best way to prevent and detect identity theft. Monitoring your credit report is another way to determine whether an identity theft has opened accounts in your name. And online tax preparation services eliminate the risk of mailing checks to the IRS. When your Social Security number or other sensitive personal information is compromised, you run a far greater risk of having your identity stolen. Taking preventative measures is the best way to avoid becoming a victim.

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Reader Question: How do I set a fraud alert on my credit report?

Posted by Joe on June 29th, 2008

Q: I recently lost my wallet which contained my driver’s license, Social Security card and credit cards. How do I go about putting a fraud alert on my credit report?

A: A fraud alert is an annotation on your credit report which lets potential lenders know that you have been, or believe you may have been, victimized by identity theft. They can be an effective tool in preventing identity thieves from opening new financial accounts using your personal information. You can learn more about fraud alerts, their purpose and how to set them by reading our Fraud Alert and Credit Freeze Guide.

Losing a wallet or purse doesn’t just represent and identity theft risk. It also means the hassle of replacing all of the contents such as your driver’s license, Social Security card and credit cards. One of the reasons we recommend LifeLock’s identity theft protection service is because they offer a unique feature called WalletLock. Subscribers that lose their wallet or purse simply have to contact LifeLock and a recovery specialist will work on their behalf to replace all the important documents that were lost or stolen. Just about the only things that WalletLock can’t replace are cash and personal effects, such as family photos.

To learn more bout LifeLock or other identity theft protection service visit our guide to identity theft protection services.

• WalletLock takes the worry out of losing your wallet
• LifeLock receives 5 star rating from NextAdvisor.com
• Reader Question: Are credit bureau fraud alerts still available?
• TJ Maxx to send follow up fraud alert letters to victims
• Debunking the case against LifeLock

Reader Question: What should I do if I think I have been a victim of identity theft?

Posted by Joe on June 29th, 2008

Q: I received a $400 bill in my name from a company I have never done business with. I think I may have been the victim of identity theft. What should I do?

A: Receiving financial statements, bills or other correspondence in your name from companies you don’t recognize is a potential sign that you may have been victimized by an identity thief. Here are the steps we suggest you take to remedy the situation:

• Contact the company that sent you the bill. While it could be a sign of identity theft, it may also be a simple mistake by the company. Additionally, contacting the company will alert them to the fact that you are not responsible for the charges.
• Call your local police on their non-emergency number and make arrangements to file a police report. Provide a copy of this police report to the company that sent you the bill as well as to the Federal Trade Commission (se below).
• File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. You can file a complaint using this online form.
• Contact each of the three credit bureaus and have them set fraud alerts on your credit report. Fraud alerts are an annotation on your credit file that let potential lenders know that you may have been victimized by identity theft. They can be an effective tool in helping to prevent criminals from using your personal information to secure financial accounts in your name. Technically, you only need to contact one credit bureau and ask them to set a fraud alert and they will coordinate with the other two bureaus on your behalf. We still suggest that you contact all three bureaus because it is relatively simple to do and ensures that there are no administrative issues that may delay or your fraud alerts from being set. Here is the contact information for the three major credit bureaus:

  Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

  Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013

  TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

  Fraud alerts expire every ninety days and do not automatically renew. You will need to reset fraud alerts every ninety days by contacting each of the credit bureaus directly. Alternatively, identity theft protection services such as LifeLock and Trusted ID will set fraud alerts on your credit report on your behalf and will ensure that they don’t lapse by renewing them every ninety days.

Identity theft protection services like LifeLock and Trusted ID can also assist you in ensuring that you are not victimized by identity thieves in the future. Many of them also offer services for consumers that have already been victimized by identity thieves. Learn more about identity theft protection services by visiting our guide to identity theft protection services.

• NextAdvisor.com Fraud Alert and Credit Freeze Guide
• Unlimited credit reports and scores from all 3 bureaus with CreditCheck Total
• Reader Question: Are credit bureau fraud alerts still available?
• Data Breach Alert: Thousands of Dominican University students impacted in secure file breach
• Reader Question: How can LifeLock help me if I have already been a victim of identity theft?

Reader Question: Does signing up for LifeLock cover my spouse?

Posted by Joe on June 29th, 2008

Q: Does signing up for LifeLock cover my spouse? If not, does LifeLock offer a special discount for married couples?

A: Each LifeLock membership only covers the named subscriber, so your spouse would not be covered by LifeLock’s identity theft protection service unless you both subscriber. There are no special discounts offered to married couples, but NextAdvisor.com has negotiated a special discount and free trial exclusively for our readers.

If you and your spouse sign up for LifeLock through this link you will receive a special 11% discount and a free 30 day trial of the service. LifeLock makes it easy for couples and families to sign up together. You can sign up your significant other and even children for the LifeLock service on one single application form on their website.

To sign up for LifeLock, simply click here or visit our review of LifeLock to learn more about the identity theft protection service.

• Reader Question: Will my LifeLock or Equifax account also cover my spouse?
• LifeLock… Now with frequent flier protection!
• Reader Question: How can LifeLock help me if I have already been a victim of identity theft?
• Reader Question: Which identity theft protection service is best if I’ve already been victimized?
• Get 10% off a year of Mozy online backup service with special discount codes

Kroll Identity Theft Shield identity theft protection service review

Posted by Joe on June 27th, 2008

We recently posted a brief comparison between Kroll and Prepaid Legal’s Identity Theft Shield, LifeLock and Identity Guard. Today we posted a formal review of the service on our main identity theft protection service comparison.

Identity Theft Shield offers single or three bureau credit monitoring (depending on the level of service that is purchased) and fairly extensive identity theft victim recovery services. The major downside to the service is that it provides no proactive identity theft prevention for subscribers. The service is definitely worth a look although we wouldn’t recommend it to most consumers.

You can learn more by reading our full review of Kroll Identity Theft Shield or by visiting our identity theft protection service guide.

• Identity Theft Shield from Kroll and Pre-Paid Legal Review
• Data Breach Alert: Blue-Cross notifies thousands of of identity theft concerns
• ID Watchdog identity theft protection service review
• Identity Guard Good Start review launched on NextAdvisor.com
• ID theft hits a little too close to home

ID Watchdog identity theft protection service review

Posted by Joe on June 27th, 2008

Today we are launching a new review of ID Watchdog, a detection based identity theft protection service that takes a unique approach to monitoring subscriber identities and has the best recovery guarantee we have seen to date.

Many services use credit report data to detect potential identity theft or other fraud perpetrated against subscribers. ID Watchdog uses patent pending technology to monitor the Social Security Administration, DMV records, court filings and dozens of other public records databases. This allows ID Watchdog to catch multiple types of identity theft that are not effectively monitored by some competitive services.

If an ID Watchdog subscriber is victimized then the 100% recovery guarantee kicks in. This is the most straightforward guarantee we have seen in the industry. ID Watchdog guarantees that they will continue to work until the subscriber’s identity is restored no matter what that takes. There are no limits on the amount of time or money that ID Watchdog will spend to recoup a stolen subscriber identity although this guarantee does not cover restitution of stolen funds or lost wages (none of the services we have reviewed cover these items). ID Watchdog claims a 100% success rate in recovering stolen subscriber identities.

The two biggest downsides of ID Watchdog are the price which, at $19.95 per month, is nearly two times the monthly cost of other services we have reviewed and the fact that there is no credit report data included for subscribers.

Overall, ID Watchdog offers a very powerful monitoring and recovery service and we highly recommend it to most consumers. You can learn more by reading our full review of ID Watchdog or by visiting our guide to identity theft protection services.

• Identity Theft Shield from Kroll and Pre-Paid Legal Review
• LifeLock’s $1 Million Guarantee - Separating Fact From Fiction
• Debunking the case against LifeLock
• Reader Question: Which identity theft protection service is best if I’ve already been victimized?
• LifeLock CEO addresses lawsuits and critics head on

Verizon releases its Data Breach Investigations Report

Posted by Caitlin on June 24th, 2008

Verizon’s 2008 Data Breach Investigations Report, which analyzed 500 data breaches over the past four years, including three of the largest ever reported, offers some surprising and informative statistics.

• 73% of data breaches resulted from external sources
• 18% were caused by outsiders
• 39% implicated business partners
• 30% involved multiple parties
• 66% involved data the victim did not know was on the system
• 75% of breaches were not discovered by the victim
• 87% were considered avoidable through reasonable controls
• 62% were attributed to a significant human error
• 59% resulted from hacking and intrusions
• 31% incorporated malicious code
• 22% exploited a vulnerability
• 15% were due to physical threats

Although Verizon’s study indicated that far fewer data breaches resulted from insider sources, in the cases where the culprit was an insider, the size and consequences of the breach were significantly greater. The time it took to conduct an attack ranged from minutes to hours, but it generally took organizations months or years to discover the breach, and once they did discover the breach they were slow to respond. The average breach involved about 1.2 million records.

If you would like to know more about how you can protect yourself from identity theft, visit our identity theft protection service comparison guide.

• Traditional phone service losing ground to VoIP
• Data Breach Alert: Seven years of government medical data exposed
• Data Breach Alert: 70,000 impacted in OSU server breach
• 25 million identities left unprotected in the UK
• Data Breach Alert: Utah hospital loses thousands of patient records

Data Breach Alert: Laptop containing records for 62,000 current and former Stanford employees’ is stolen

Posted by Caitlin on June 24th, 2008

A laptop containing records for 62,000 current and former Stanford employees was stolen early this month. On June 5, Stanford discovered that the stolen laptop contained restricted information, and immediately began notifying the affected individuals. Anyone who received a paycheck from Stanford prior to September 28, 2007 is likely to be among those whose information was compromised. While Stanford attempted to reach all of these individuals, they do not necessarily have current contact information for every person affected.

The data on the laptop included:

• Name, gender, date of birth
• Social security number
• Salary, business title, office location, office phone number and Stanford e-mail address
• Home address and phone number
• Stanford ID card number and Stanford employee number

Stanford is working with law enforcement to recover the laptop. If you believe that you may be one of the affected individuals and have not yet been contacted by Stanford, you can call 1-888-200-8799 between 6:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time to speak with a Kroll customer service representative who can confirm if your records were compromised.

Learn more about identity theft protection options by visiting our reviews and comparison of identity theft protection services.

• Data Breach Alert: Stolen laptop impacts Virginia school employees
• Data Breach Alert: Stolen laptop exposes identities of 20,000 Kraft employees
• Data Breach Alert: Utah hospital loses thousands of patient records
• Data Breach Alert: Theft puts 13,000 Pfizer employees at risk
• Data Breach Alert: Stolen laptop leaves thousands of Connecticut State students exposed

Identity Guard adds 30 day free trial and free ZoneAlarm software

Posted by Joe on June 23rd, 2008

Identity Guard, one of our five star rated identity theft protection services, has significantly improved their service by adding a 30 day free trial and the enhanced protection of ZoneAlarm Internet security software. These new features enhance their extensive identity theft detection tools such as three bureau credit report monitoring, access to all three credit reports and scores, fraud monitoring across dozens of databases and $20,000 in identity theft insurance in the unfortunate case that a subscriber is victimized.

While Identity Guard has long offered new subscribers a free second month, this new free trial allows consumers to truly try before they buy and make sure that the Identity Guard service is right for them. New identity Guard subscribers that cancel their subscription before the end of the 30 day free trial period will not be charged any fees at all.

Additionally, Identity Guard has added a free subscription to ZoneAlarm Internet security software with ongoing subscription to their identity theft protection service. We have found that many consumers don’t realize just how big of a threat the Internet can be to their identity. Many criminals use malicious computer viruses, email and phishing scams to gain access to personal information that can be used to perpetrated identity theft. Identity Guard is offering a truly comprehensive online and offline identity theft protection service by pairing their core product with the protection of ZoneAlarm.

We have reviewed ZoneAlarm as part of our Internet Security Software comparison and found it to be an amazingly effective tool at stopping the many dangers that face consumers and their computers while using the Internet.

We continue to strongly recommend Identity Guard for most consumers. learn more about Identity Guard and other identity theft protection services by visiting our guide to identity theft protection services.

• Identity Guard provides extensive identity theft protection and detection
• Reader Question: How much do credit report monitoring services cost?
• Identity Theft Shield from Kroll and Pre-Paid Legal Review
• Identity Guard Good Start review launched on NextAdvisor.com
• Reader Question: Are credit bureau fraud alerts still available?