Forbes: Column: Identity Protection Goes Beyond Technology
A column at Forbes discusses the “human element” of identity protection:
Identity theft and security is always in the spotlight through the constant stream of news stories about companies losing confidential customer or client data, such as social security numbers, credit card numbers, health histories and so forth. [...]
Information technology companies rightly react to this by developing new technologies to improve security and eagerly market these to CIOs as a way to protect the personal information of their customers and clients. While we should use these appropriately, we can’t rely just on technology for identity protection. [...]
While some of these security incidents involve someone hacking into a system, many involve a human failing. Examples include a laptop with confidential information being lost or stolen and employees e-mailing sensitive data to their personal e-mail accounts so they can work on it from home. [...]
So what can be done? I believe it is a combination of things, a so-called multi-layered security system based on both technology and human factors. Some of the technology actions include:
–Implement “kill pills” on laptops that allow you to send a signal to lost or stolen laptops that deletes all data.
–In addition to the usual restriction of access to data, only allow data to be downloaded in an encrypted format, maintain logs of who is downloading data, and the downloads should be reviewed by business staff security audit teams.
The full article has more suggestions.
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June 6th, 2009 at 11:36 am
A lot of times it is our own carelessness or lack of knowledge that we lose our ID to scammers. Whether it’s at a bank, grocery store, restaurant or on vacation we allow someone to scan our ID or steal it and it is gone. The Canadian Royal Canadian Mpunted Police have a 53 page guide to help their fellow Canadians and anyone else with ID protection. I have written a book on compiled data from various US agencies, Canada, the UK, and Interpol regarding Scams and Fraud. ID theft is part of that spectrum of crime. Scammers Among Us Beware is a self help guide that if followed will keep you safe from ID theft whether individual or company. Check it out on Amazon .com, BN.com or Eloquentbooks.com/ScammersAmongUsBeware.html. This book will at least be of help on the humanistic part of the equation. Thank you.