Identity Protection: The Benefits of a Long-Term Mindset

By Angela Murphy in Personal Protection 0 Comment

Breached Personal Information: The Shared Responsibility Between Consumers & Organizations

Our connected world has made us all more vulnerable to fraud and identity theft. With major security incidents from Equifax and Facebook compromising millions of consumers’ personally identifiable information (PII) – and now most recently Google+ – limited identity protection services for breach victims are staple items in organizations, big and small.

While reactive measures can help address and resolve identity crime after it occurs, the best way to address fraud and identity theft is by taking a proactive approach. It’s really a two-fold awareness strategy relying on both technology and human vigilance.  

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12 Quick Ways to Secure Your Personal Data

By Laura Bruck in Breach and Scam News 4 Comments

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Secure Your Personal Data

Think about the many places your personal data lives – the documents that contain it, the businesses collecting it, the devices storing and sharing it, the websites and apps using it. Fraudsters work by targeting those sources of data to ultimately profit from it.

Despite the “how” and “why,” security incidents like data breaches, phishing scams and more can leave you wondering: What should I do?  The good news is that awareness and prevention are often the best remedy for many of these threats.

Here are 12 tips (that will take five minutes or less!) to help better secure your personal data. Continue reading

New Breach Sparks Concern Over Social Engineering

By John Burcham in Personal Protection 2 Comments

Social Engineering Expected to Increase 

A recent data breach affecting 123 million American households speaks to the expected increase in social engineering scams of those impacted by the breach. 

California-based data service company Alteryx recently experienced a data breach that exposed some PII elements (address, phone number, longitude/latitude coordinates). However, the data exposed is even more troubling because it was paired with extensive analytics on consumer behaviors, interests and financial/spending habits. The 36 GB file focused mostly on consumer behavioral segments – 248 to be exact – like “Book Buyer,” “Religious Contributor,” “Phone Activity Date” and “Interest in Gourmet Cooking.”    Continue reading

Public Information Threatens Your Business Security

By John Burcham in Business Protection 0 Comment

Is your business more public than you think? 

In this overwhelmingly information-rich world, the answer is a definite yes. And if it’s public information, it has every legal right to carry on. 

Among social media platforms, review sites, consumer blogs, industry forums and business search databases, there’s a good chance that you’re being talked about. People flock to this public information so they can get a better picture of your company from others’ experiences. This includes current and prospective customers, as well as potential business partners.  Continue reading