How Much Is Your Identity Worth?
Recently, InfoWorld.com published an alarming article (
review article here) that discusses the rising problem of identity theft.
Hackers are selling sensitive information (bank account, credit card, date or birth, etc) for $14 to $18.
Credit card numbers and the verification code can be sold anywhere from $1 to $6.
This is pretty scary stuff.
While US banks have been doing all they can to protect their customers from the dangers of identity theft, identity thieves are very clever. For example, identity thieves (as the article indicates) exploit "zero-day vulnerability" – which refers to the period of time after a software is released and before the bank or issuer of the software become aware of a security flaw.
In addition, the article states that some hackers have created malicious programs that can be attached to documents in Microsoft Office or other similar softwares.
The best way to protect your identity is to, of course, be cautious and always alert, especially when submitting sensitive information over the internet.
Also, be cautious when opening attachments to emails, even if it is a seemingly harmless text or Office documents.
Further, there are many resources that can help you monitor your credit report, where most of the identity thief’s activity will appear (new credit card, new loan, etc).
Some of these services are reviewed in Connexins'
Prevent Identity Theft.
In addition, Connexins'
Prevent Identity Theft contains many other helpful tips to to protect yourself from identity theft.
