Archive for the ‘security breach’ Category

Identity Theft Protection Expert and One You Security: Research Finds Companies Not Reporting Security Lapses to Clients Even as Data Breach Tally Grows to Highest Ever

Thursday, October 9th, 2008

(SARASOTA, Fla. - Oct. 9, 2008 - One You Security) Separate research studies released over the past two weeks revealed not only that data breaches for 2007 as of Sept. 30 had reached an "all-time high," but also that a majority of companies whose data is breached fail to notify clients. The findings painted a worrisome picture of the state of data security, with clear implications for consumers, said Robert Siciliano, widely televised and quoted identity theft protection expert and chief security analyst for One You Security, LLC, a company whose service continually searches the Internet for illegal use of subscribers’ identifying information and does everything it can to render their Social Security numbers useless to thieves who would otherwise use them to commit financial fraud.

"When it comes to data breaches, clients are frequently synonymous with consumers," said Siciliano. "So these findings affect more than just ‘other companies.’ Every time a security breach occurs, there is apparently a three in five chance that the client will never learn that data has been compromised. This is unacceptable, and yet it is the situation on the ground. To protect themselves, consumers must take matters into their own hands. Fortunately, a comprehensive answer to the problems exists: One You."

One You Security is a service that transforms Social Security numbers into something functionally useless to financial fraudsters. Additionally, One You PowerScan scours more than 150 million websites, 80 million blogs, 90,000 message boards and chat rooms, and billions of spam e-mails for potentially illegal use of its subscribers’ identifying information. These subscribers to One You Security also receive newsletters and special alerts from Siciliano. Through these, they get the latest information on data breaches and learn more about identity theft prevention. Chief security analyst for One You Security and a member of the Bank Fraud & IT Security Report’s editorial board, Siciliano regularly discusses data security and consumer protection on CNBC, on NBC’s "Today Show," FOX News Network and elsewhere.

Between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30 of this year, the total number of data breaches was 516, according to an ongoing tally by The Identity Theft Resource Center® (ITRC) and announced on Oct. 6. The ITRC’s total for 2007 was 446 breaches, which suggested that the final number for 2008 would dwarf last year’s. In August, in fact, the ITRC’s count had already surpassed last year’s by three.

Additionally, 60 percent of organizations that experience data breaches fail to notify clients, according to research by U.K.-based IT and business services company Logica. The survey’s results, announced on Sept. 24 and derived from a comprehensive study of IT Directors, CTOs and IT security managers in 300 public and private sector organizations, further found that more than half of companies fail to understand the impact of a security breach.

"The rate of data breaches itself is a major cause for concern," said Chris Harris, president and CEO of One You Security. "But the prospects for industry-wide reforms would at least seem hopeful if a majority of organizations were to exercise transparency when data breaches do happen. Yet this, apparently, is not their typical response. In the absence of responsible behavior on the part of a majority of organizations entrusted with sensitive, identifying data, consumers must protect themselves — something that One You enables them to do."

Consumers who choose One You Security do so in part because the company strives to transform their Social Security numbers into meaningless strings of digits of no use to thieves. The firm backs all its offerings with a 100 percent service guarantee.

The YouTube video below shows Siciliano on FOX News Network, where he explains how the ubiquity of Social Security numbers as universal identifiers helps thieves online and off-line. A collection of videos at VideoJug features Siciliano sharing advice on how consumers can protect themselves from identity theft and fraud.


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About One You Security, LLC

Sarasota, Fla.-based One You Security’s mission is to eliminate the threat and consequences of identity theft. For just $10 per month, anyone can sign up for One You Security’s identity theft protection service, a proactive, preventative approach whereby the company activates and manages its customers’ fraud alerts with major credit bureaus. Subscribers also receive full access to ongoing education from identity theft protection expert Robert Siciliano, chief security analyst for One You Security, which backs up its promise to protect clients’ financial identities with a 100 percent service guarantee. To sign up for One You Security, dial 1-800-434-2010.

About IDTheftSecurity.com

Identity theft affects us all, and Robert Siciliano, CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, chief security analyst for One You Security, and member of the Bank Fraud & IT Security Report’s editorial board, makes it his mission to educate Fortune 500 companies and their clients on the dangers of identity theft. Author of "The Safety Minute: 01" and leader of personal safety and security seminars nationwide, Siciliano has been featured on "The Today Show," CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, "FOX News," "The Suze Orman Show," "The Montel Williams Show," "Maury Povich," "Sally Jesse Raphael," "The Howard Stern Show," and "Inside Edition." Numerous magazines, print news outlets, and wire services have turned to him, as well, for expert commentary on personal security and identity theft protection. These include Forbes, USA Today, Entrepreneur, Woman’s Day, Mademoiselle, Good Housekeeping, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, United Press International, Reuters, and others. For more information, visit Siciliano’s Web site, blog, and YouTube page.

The media are encouraged to get in touch with any of the following individuals:

Chris Harris
President & CEO of One You Security
PHONE: 941-342-0500 (x231)
chris@oneyou.com
http://www.oneyou.com

Robert Siciliano
CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com
Chief Security Analyst for One You Security
PHONE: 888-SICILIANO (742-4542)
FAX: 877-2-FAX-NOW (232-9669)
Robert@IDTheftSecurity.com
http://www.idtheftsecurity.com

Brent W. Skinner
President & CEO of STETrevisions
PHONE: 617-875-4859
FAX: 866-663-6557
BrentSkinner@STETrevisions.com
http://www.STETrevisions.com
http://brentskinner.blogspot.com

Identity Theft Protection Expert and One You Security: Millions of Mortgage Records in Unauthorized Hands Leave Consumers in Need of a Bulwark against Financial Fraudsters

Thursday, September 25th, 2008

(SARASOTA, Fla. - Sept. 21, 2008 - One You Security) Last week, reports revealed that the alleged wrongdoings of an employee at Countrywide Home Loans placed more than 2 million unique data records in the hands of parties unauthorized to view the information. The news supported research that links employee negligence to a large number of data breaches, noted Robert Siciliano, widely televised and quoted identity theft protection expert and chief security analyst for One You Security, LLC. In light of the circumstances, he encouraged consumers to enroll in One You Security, a service that transforms Social Security numbers into something functionally useless to financial fraudsters and scours 150 million websites every day, each of them 50 pages deep, for any potentially illegal use of their identifying information.

"Unscrupulous employees are often the weak link in data security," said Siciliano. "As the industry has witnessed time and time again, while firms may — or may not — implement vigorous protocols to serve as a bulwark against data breaches whose culprits originate from outside the organization, internal decision trees and security measures are frequently inadequate or nonexistent. The circumstances create fertile ground for white collar crime that sees consumers’ sensitive, identifying information falling into the hands of thieves. Because they exercise perhaps the least control of all parties over this information, consumers need a service such as One You as the last yet robust line of defense protecting their data from financial fraudsters."

Subscribers to One You Security receive newsletters and special alerts from Siciliano. Through these, they get the latest information on data breaches and learn more about identity theft prevention. Chief security analyst for One You Security and a member of the Bank Fraud & IT Security Report’s editorial board, Siciliano regularly discusses data security and consumer protection on CNBC, on NBC’s "Today Show," FOX News Network and elsewhere.

More than 45,000 Massachusetts residents found themselves possibly affected by the loss of more than 2 million unique data records from Countrywide Home Loans, a Sept. 18th report in the Boston Globe revealed. Social Security numbers and mortgage loan numbers were among the information lost in the breach, allegedly the handiwork of a former employee who, the firm contended, downloaded and illegally sold to third parties over the course of two years’ time.

The data breach at Countrywide was in keeping with a pattern, noted Siciliano. He pointed to a recent survey jointly conducted by the Ponemon Institute and Hilb Rogal & Hobbs Company, which found 50 percent of its participants saying the number one root cause of data breach incidents is employee negligence.

"These kinds of data breaches occur largely because of policies that consumers have no control over," said Chris Harris, president and CEO of One You Security. "But consumers deserve control over their own information, and they deserve their own line of defense against rampant financial fraud. One You is that last line of a defense — a robust line of defense that creates peace of mind for consumers, whose information goes missing by the millions every year as a result of inadequate security policies at the organizations entrusted with their sensitive, identifying data."

Consumers who choose One You Security do so in part because the company strives to transform their Social Security numbers into meaningless strings of digits of no use to thieves. The firm backs all its offerings with a 100 percent service guarantee.

YouTube video below shows Siciliano on FOX News Network, where he explains how the ubiquity of Social Security numbers as universal identifiers helps thieves online and off-line. A collection of videos at VideoJug features Siciliano sharing advice on how consumers can protect themselves from identity theft and fraud.


###

About One You Security, LLC

Sarasota, Fla.-based One You Security’s mission is to eliminate the threat and consequences of identity theft. For just $10 per month, anyone can sign up for One You Security’s identity theft protection service, a proactive, preventative approach whereby the company activates and manages its customers’ fraud alerts with major credit bureaus. Subscribers also receive full access to ongoing education from identity theft protection expert Robert Siciliano, chief security analyst for One You Security, which backs up its promise to protect clients’ financial identities with a 100 percent service guarantee. To sign up for One You Security, dial 1-800-434-2010.

About IDTheftSecurity.com

Identity theft affects us all, and Robert Siciliano, CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, chief security analyst for One You Security, and member of the Bank Fraud & IT Security Report’s editorial board, makes it his mission to educate Fortune 500 companies and their clients on the dangers of identity theft. Author of "The Safety Minute: 01" and leader of personal safety and security seminars nationwide, Siciliano has been featured on "The Today Show," CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, "FOX News," "The Suze Orman Show," "The Montel Williams Show," "Maury Povich," "Sally Jesse Raphael," "The Howard Stern Show," and "Inside Edition." Numerous magazines, print news outlets, and wire services have turned to him, as well, for expert commentary on personal security and identity theft protection. These include Forbes, USA Today, Entrepreneur, Woman’s Day, Mademoiselle, Good Housekeeping, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, United Press International, Reuters, and others. For more information, visit Siciliano’s Web site, blog, and YouTube page.

The media are encouraged to get in touch with any of the following individuals:

Chris Harris
President & CEO of One You Security
PHONE: 941-342-0500 (x231)
chris@oneyou.com
http://www.oneyou.com

Robert Siciliano
CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com
Chief Security Analyst for One You Security
PHONE: 888-SICILIANO (742-4542)
FAX: 877-2-FAX-NOW (232-9669)
Robert@IDTheftSecurity.com
http://www.idtheftsecurity.com

Brent W. Skinner
President & CEO of STETrevisions
PHONE: 617-875-4859
FAX: 866-663-6557
BrentSkinner@STETrevisions.com
http://www.STETrevisions.com
http://brentskinner.blogspot.com

Identity Theft Expert and MyLaptopGPS: Proliferation of Laptop Theft at Airports Echoes Last Year’s Rise in the Crime

Sunday, August 10th, 2008

(BOSTON, Mass. - Aug. 8, 2008 - IDTheftSecurity.com) More than 15,000 laptop computers go missing every week from airports in Europe, according to new research, which added credence to another study that showed a 6 percent year-over-year increase in laptop theft in 2007. Widely televised and quoted personal security and identity theft expert Robert Siciliano encouraged business travelers and the companies that employ them to consider services from MyLaptopGPS, a laptop tracking and data recovery firm mentioned in the August 2008 issue of Inc. Magazine.

"The pace of laptop theft may be mind-blowing to the casual observer," said Siciliano. "But for those who follow these events, the numbers are anything but surprising. Business travelers and the organizations that employ them must look at laptop security as a requirement, not simply a ‘nice-to-have.’ Luckily, laptop security from MyLaptopGPS is affordable, which helps to precipitate the necessary changes in attitude."

CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com and a member of the Bank Fraud & IT Security Report’s editorial board, Siciliano leads Fortune 500 companies and their clients through consumer education workshops that explore security solutions for businesses and individuals. A longtime identity theft speaker and author of "The Safety Minute: 01," he has discussed data security and consumer protection on CNBC, NBC’s "Today Show," FOX News Network, and elsewhere.

According to research from The Ponemon Institute, every week approximately 3,300 laptop computers go missing, many of them to thieves, from Europe’s eight largest airports. About 900 of these incidents occur at London’s Heathrow Airport, alone, the joint study with Dell found.

Last year, the CSI Survey 2007 revealed that, compared to 2006, the rate of theft of laptop computers and mobile devices increased from 47 percent to 50 percent last year. This translated to a 6 percent increase over the previous year’s amount, which was "all the more believable in light of the sheer volume of missing laptops at European airports," Siciliano noted.

"Research study after research study shows that laptop computer theft is a pervasive occurrence whose aftermath is extremely expensive for any organization," said MyLaptopGPS’ chief technology officer, Dan Yost, who invited readers to visit the MyLaptopGPS blog. "MyLaptopGPS’ solution to laptop security, in contrast, is an affordable and simple-to-use alternative that can reverse the trend. Whereas the average laptop theft rate is more than twelve percent, the average theft rate for a laptop equipped with MyLaptopGPS is less than half a percent."

At its website, MyLaptopGPS maintains a log of high-profile laptop thefts. Additionally, the company’s site displays the Realtime Estimated Damage Index (REDI™), a running tally of highly publicized laptop and desktop computer thefts and losses. The REDI also assesses those losses’ associated costs by drawing on estimates from the FBI and other sources that reflect the likelihood that identity theft and other crimes will occur whenever a computer is misplaced or stolen.

Anti-laptop theft technology such as MyLaptopGPS’ combines Internet-based GPS tracking — more effective than other forms of GPS for tracking and retrieving stolen laptops — with other functionalities to secure mobile computing devices. A user launches MyLaptopGPS’ features remotely, protecting data even while the machine is in a criminal’s hands. Once connected to the Internet, the software silently retrieves, and then deletes, files from machines as it tracks the stolen or missing hardware — at once returning the data to its rightful owner and removing it from the lost computer.

"Our laptop fleet was certainly worth protecting," said Jim Sullivan, the network, systems and security administrator for FastForms, Inc. "We have procedures in place to help secure the machines, but we realized that we needed some key additional layers of security, such as covert tracking and remote-controlled data recovery and destruction. MyLaptopGPS’ solution is very easy to use, and we are quite satisfied. We would recommend MyLaptopGPS to any business seeking a simple solution to secure their laptops and data."

Additionally, MyLaptopGPS offers SafeRegistry™, a comprehensive system for inventorying entire fleets of mobile computers, as well as a full line of highly renowned SafeTags™, which are police-traceable property tags designed to secure iPods, cell phones, BlackBerry devices, and other mobile property.

Readers may download a demo of MyLaptopGPS. A white paper is also available.

The YouTube video below shows Siciliano on FOX News Network, where he discussed this year’s data security breach at Hannaford Bros. and provided consumers affected by the theft with the tips they needed to avoid paying for fraudulent charges to their bank accounts and credit accounts. To learn more about identity theft, a major concern for anyone who’s lost a laptop computer to thieves, readers may go to video of Siciliano at VideoJug.


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About MyLaptopGPS

Since 1984, Tri-8, Inc. (DBA MyLaptopGPS.com) has specialized in complete system integration. From real-time electronic payment processing software to renowned mid-market ERP implementations, the executive team at MyLaptopGPS has been serving leading enterprises and implementing world-class data systems that simply work. With MyLaptopGPS™, Tri-8, Inc. brings a level of expertise, dedication, knowledge and service that is unmatched. MyLaptopGPS™’s rock-solid performance, security, and reliability flow directly from the company’s commitment to top-notch software products and services for almost 25 years.

About IDTheftSecurity.com

Identity theft affects us all, and Robert Siciliano, CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com and member of the Bank Fraud & IT Security Report’s editorial board, makes it his mission to provide consumer education solutions on identity theft to Fortune 500 companies and their clients. A leader of personal safety and security seminars nationwide, Siciliano has been featured on "The Today Show," CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, "FOX News," "The Suze Orman Show," "The Montel Williams Show," "Maury Povich," "Sally Jesse Raphael," "The Howard Stern Show," and "Inside Edition." Numerous magazines, print news outlets, and wire services have turned to him, as well, for expert commentary on personal security and identity theft. These include Forbes, USA Today, Entrepreneur, Woman’s Day, Mademoiselle, Good Housekeeping, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, United Press International, Reuters, and others. For more information, visit Siciliano’s Web site, blog, and YouTube page.

The media are encouraged to get in touch with any of the following individuals:

John Dunivan
MyLaptopGPS Media Relations
PHONE: (405) 747-6654 (direct line)
jd@MyLaptopGPS.com
www.MyLaptopGPS.com

Robert Siciliano, Personal Security Expert
CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com
PHONE: 888-SICILIANO (742-4542)
FAX: 877-2-FAX-NOW (232-9669)
Robert@IDTheftSecurity.com
www.idtheftsecurity.com

Brent W. Skinner
President & CEO of STETrevisions
PHONE: 617-875-4859
FAX: 866-663-6557
BrentSkinner@STETrevisions.com
http://www.STETrevisions.com
http://www.brentskinner.blogspot.com

Identity Theft Expert and MyLaptopGPS: Securing Laptop Computers Helps to Protect College Students from Identity Theft

Sunday, August 10th, 2008

(BOSTON, Mass. - Aug. 4, 2008 - IDTheftSecurity.com) Laptop thefts at college campuses across the U.S. have affected untold numbers of college students, who are prime targets for identity thieves, research has shown. According to widely televised and quoted personal security and identity theft expert Robert Siciliano, those who want a simple, effective way to retrieve and protect their lost or stolen laptop computers and the data stored on them should look to MyLaptopGPS, a laptop tracking and data recovery firm mentioned in the August 2008 issue of Inc. Magazine.

"Smart universities and individual college students alike will consider these numbers and decide to protect themselves by installing better security on their laptop computers," said Siciliano. "MyLaptopGPS at once provides one of the simplest and most effective options out there: Internet-based GPS tracking of stolen mobile devices and the simultaneous ability for subscribers to remotely retrieve and delete identity-revealing files from missing machines."

CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com and a member of the Bank Fraud & IT Security Report’s editorial board, Siciliano leads Fortune 500 companies and their clients through consumer education workshops that explore security solutions for businesses and individuals. A longtime identity theft speaker and author of "The Safety Minute: 01," he has discussed data security and consumer protection on CNBC, NBC’s "Today Show," FOX News Network, and elsewhere.

Earlier this year, the Federal Trade Commission reported that 32 percent of the complaints it received in 2007 (the highest amount) were related to identity theft. Of these identity theft-related incidents, the FTC found that nearly a third targeted those in the 18-29 year old age bracket, noted a July 28th news release from the Identity Theft Resource Center.

In a July 4th report, The Chronicle of Higher Education drew the intuitive link between laptop thefts from U.S. college campuses and the problem of identity theft. Furthermore, thefts of laptops at universities have continued at a breakneck clip. Typically, the stolen mobile device is never recovered. The exception to the rule was a story that TheAssociated Press ran on July 22: the return, apparently by the thief, of a stolen laptop computer belonging to an Indiana State University professor that "contained personal information on more than 2,500 current and former Indiana State students, including names, grades, e-mail addresses and some Social Security numbers," reported to the AP.

"Rarely is a stolen laptop computer found by the owner, let alone returned by the thief," said MyLaptopGPS’ chief technology officer, Dan Yost, who directed readers to a log of high-profile laptop thefts that the company records at its website. "For individuals, the typical consequences of laptop theft are not only the permanent loss of a machine, but also the ever-present specter of identity theft. For organizations, the loss of the machine itself is the least of their worries; the costs associated with full disclosure of the event to those possibly affected and the threat of reparative litigation are potentially crippling."

Along with a log of high-profile thefts, MyLaptopGPS‘ website keeps a running tally of highly publicized laptop and desktop computer thefts and losses. The Realtime Estimated Damage Index (REDI) also assesses those losses’ associated costs by drawing on estimates from the FBI and other sources that reflect the likelihood that identity theft and other crimes will occur whenever a computer is misplaced or stolen.

Anti-laptop theft technology such as MyLaptopGPS’ combines Internet-based GPS tracking — more effective than other forms of GPS for tracking and retrieving stolen laptops — with other functionalities to secure mobile computing devices. A user launches MyLaptopGPS’ features remotely, protecting data even while the machine is in a criminal’s hands. Once connected to the Internet, the software silently retrieves, and then deletes, files from machines as it tracks the stolen or missing hardware — at once returning the data to its rightful owner and removing it from the lost computer.

"I am investing a fortune in my daughter’s college education," said Stanley Konopka, who selected MyLaptopGPS to help protect his college-bound daughter. "It makes perfect sense to spend a few dollars to protect and secure the most critical tool she has in earning her degree: her laptop."

Additionally, MyLaptopGPS offers SafeRegistry™, a comprehensive system for inventorying entire fleets of mobile computers, as well as a full line of highly renowned SafeTags™, which are police-traceable property tags designed to secure iPods, cell phones, BlackBerry devices, and other mobile property.

Readers may download a demo of MyLaptopGPS. A white paper is also available.

YouTube video below shows Siciliano on FOX News Network, where he discussed this year’s data security breach at Hannaford Bros. and provided consumers affected by the theft with the tips they needed to avoid paying for fraudulent charges to their bank accounts and credit accounts. To learn more about identity theft, a major concern for anyone who’s lost a laptop computer to thieves, readers may go to video of Siciliano at VideoJug.


###

About MyLaptopGPS

Since 1984, Tri-8, Inc. (DBA MyLaptopGPS.com) has specialized in complete system integration. From real-time electronic payment processing software to renowned mid-market ERP implementations, the executive team at MyLaptopGPS has been serving leading enterprises and implementing world-class data systems that simply work. With MyLaptopGPS™, Tri-8, Inc. brings a level of expertise, dedication, knowledge and service that is unmatched. MyLaptopGPS™’s rock-solid performance, security, and reliability flow directly from the company’s commitment to top-notch software products and services for almost 25 years.

About IDTheftSecurity.com

Identity theft affects us all, and Robert Siciliano, CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com and member of the Bank Fraud & IT Security Report’s editorial board, makes it his mission to provide consumer education solutions on identity theft to Fortune 500 companies and their clients. A leader of personal safety and security seminars nationwide, Siciliano has been featured on "The Today Show," CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, "FOX News," "The Suze Orman Show," "The Montel Williams Show," "Maury Povich," "Sally Jesse Raphael," "The Howard Stern Show," and "Inside Edition." Numerous magazines, print news outlets, and wire services have turned to him, as well, for expert commentary on personal security and identity theft. These include Forbes, USA Today, Entrepreneur, Woman’s Day, Mademoiselle, Good Housekeeping, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, United Press International, Reuters, and others. For more information, visit Siciliano’s Web site, blog, and YouTube page.

The media are encouraged to get in touch with any of the following individuals:

John Dunivan
MyLaptopGPS Media Relations
PHONE: (405) 747-6654 (direct line)
jd@MyLaptopGPS.com
www.MyLaptopGPS.com

Robert Siciliano, Personal Security Expert
CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com
PHONE: 888-SICILIANO (742-4542)
FAX: 877-2-FAX-NOW (232-9669)
Robert@IDTheftSecurity.com
www.idtheftsecurity.com

Brent W. Skinner
President & CEO of STETrevisions
PHONE: 617-875-4859
FAX: 866-663-6557
BrentSkinner@STETrevisions.com
http://www.STETrevisions.com
http://www.brentskinner.blogspot.com

Identity Theft Expert and Speaker on Personal Security: Frequency of Data Breaches to Increase before it Subsides

Tuesday, January 15th, 2008

(BOSTON, Mass. - Jan. 17, 2007 - IDTheftSecurity.com) The number of data records left unprotected last year because of security breaches was three times the number for 2006, reports have indicated. Additionally, some technology-intensive firms believe themselves to be less than ready for security threats in 2008, new research revealed. According to Robert Siciliano, a widely televised and quoted personal security and identity theft expert, the frequency of data breaches will increase before it subsides.

"Organizations are caught in the cliché of a vicious circle," said Siciliano. "They have yet to learn the lesson that data breaches can happen to anyone. And until they do suddenly find themselves among the abstract ‘everyone’ because of a data breach, the majority of them will adopt an ‘it-can’t-happen-to-us’ attitude, which will of course lead to more data breaches."

CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com and a member of the Bank Fraud & IT Security Report’s editorial board, Siciliano leads Fortune 500 companies and their clients in workshops that explore consumer education solutions for security issues. An experienced identity theft speaker and author of "The Safety Minute: 01," he has discussed data security and consumer protection on CNBC, on NBC’s "Today Show," on FOX News, and elsewhere.

Some industries have indeed grasped the enormity of the threat, yet still find themselves behind in preparedness despite their increased efforts to invest in security systems, a Jan. 10th news release from Deloitte on its latest research. The majority of technology, media & telecommunications (TMT) businesses, according to the announcement, "find themselves ‘treading water’…when it comes to security and privacy."

"The pace at which new security threats surface can be unnerving," said Siciliano. "It is not surprising to learn that some industries find themselves behind the curve even as they spend more and more money to solve the problem. But what they need to learn is that security investments are not one-time events; security must become a perennial activity with an annual budget and hired staff to carry out objectives."

Other reports suggested that TMTs’ concerns were justified. Last year saw more than a tripling of data records falling prey to security breaches despite a decrease in the number of breaches, a Jan. 11th article on the CNET News blog reported—from 50 million records exposed in 2006 to 162 million in 2007.

Readers may view YouTube video below of Siciliano on "FOX News," explaining how the ubiquity of Social Security numbers as universal identifiers helps thieves who get a hold of loose data records. Those wishing to learn how to protect themselves against identity theft, a major concern for anyone who has fallen prey to online scammers, may view video of Siciliano at VideoJug.


###

About IDTheftSecurity.com

Identity theft affects us all. Robert Siciliano, CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com and member of the Bank Fraud & IT Security Report’s editorial board, makes it his mission to provide consumer education solutions on identity theft to Fortune 500 companies and their clients.

A leader of personal safety and security seminars nationwide, Siciliano has been featured on "The Today Show," CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, "FOX News," "The Suze Orman Show," "The Montel Williams Show," "Maury Povich," "Sally Jesse Raphael," "The Howard Stern Show," and "Inside Edition." The Privacy Learning Institute features him on its Website. Numerous magazines, print news outlets, and wire services have turned to him, as well, for expert commentary on personal security and identity theft. These include Forbes, USA Today, Entrepreneur, Woman’s Day, Good Housekeeping, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, United Press International, Reuters, and others.

Visit Siciliano’s Web site, www.IDTheftSecurity.com; blog, www.realtysecurity.com/blog; and YouTube page, http://youtube.com/stungundotcom.

The media are encouraged to get in touch with Siciliano directly:

Robert Siciliano, Personal Security Expert
CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com
PHONE: 888-SICILIANO (742-4542)
FAX: 877-2-FAX-NOW (232-9669)
Robert@IDTheftSecurity.com
www.idtheftsecurity.com

The media may also contact:

Brent W. Skinner
President & CEO of STETrevisions
PHONE: 617-875-4859
FAX: 866-663-6557
BrentSkinner@STETrevisions.biz
www.STETrevisions.biz