New Phishing Attacks Target Institutions in Four States

CA., NY, PA and WI Customers Victimized by Text, Phone Messages

October 13, 2009 - Linda McGlasson, Managing Editor

A fresh string of phishing attacks have struck financial institutions nationwide over the past two weeks, with customers of 10 banks and credit unions in California, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin receiving fraudulent text messages or automated phone calls.

These incidents are concurrent with a new report from the Anti-Phishing Working Group, which says such attacks are up nearly 600 percent this year.

Text Messaging Scams

Members 1st Federal Credit Union of central Pennsylvania reported on Sept. 28 that it received calls from customers about text messages claiming that their cards were blocked. The calls were purportedly from Members 1st, and the customer phones that were targeted were reportedly AT&T mobile phones.....

.....Similar attacks happened on Oct. 2 in Nebraska to Greater Omaha Credit Union customers. Omaha police say the phishers sent text messages to mobile phones in the Omaha area, claiming their bank card had been deactivated and instructing them to call an 877 number to reactivate it. At least one customer fell victim, losing several hundred dollars to phishers located in Huntington Beach, CA. "Once he changed his PIN, somebody went in and withdrew the money," said Richard Patterson, president of Greater Omaha Federal Credit Union....

...How the scam works: Fraudsters learn the first three digits for certain cell phone providers in an area and just dial in remaining digits for mass texting, hoping to catch customers...

California Bank Hit in Automated Attack

The phishing scam that hit Liberty Bank, Boulder Creek, CA on Oct. 2, is still happening. The bank reports that an automated phone call phishing scam references Liberty Bank by name, making the scam more believable to unsuspecting bank customers.

Listen to the automated vishing call:
The Santa Cruz Sheriff's office initially handled the investigation, but the case has been turned over to the FBI, says Jill Hitchman, first vice president of the bank. "We've been told that Bank of America, Wells Fargo Bank, Citibank and some credit unions as far away as Humboldt County have been targeted," Hitchman says.

Residents of San Lorenzo Valley and parts of Santa Cruz reported receiving automated phone calls, purportedly from Liberty Bank, saying, "Your card has been suspended because we believe it was accessed by a third party. Please press 1 now to be transferred to our security department."

Customers who pressed "1" were asked to enter their credit/debit card number and personal identification number. Once usernames and passwords to a web-based e-mail account are captured from a customer, criminals can access the login information and transfer money out, Hitchman says.

Hitchman explains that the phishers used phone systems that were hijacked in small companies to make the calls. "They used voice over IP technology to get into the back door of these companies," she says. This recording is the actual message that customers heard from the phishers. (full text at www.bankinfosecurity.com)

NOTE: In April while in Michigan, I answered two calls at my sister's home that were of this nature and "Caller id spoofing" was used as well. Read the article on caller id spoofing here.

This article is from a week ago. Sorry, I missed it the first time.

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.StopIdTheftCrime.com and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

Shameless plug
the Best Identity Theft Protection available dot com

Payroll Processor Breached Twice in One Month

PayChoice Warns Business Clients of Network Breaches, Potential Fraud

October 19, 2009 - Linda McGlasson, Managing Editor

For the second time in less than a month, New Jersey-based payroll processor PayChoice has alerted customers to a network breach.

PayChoice, based in Moorestown, NJ, had to take its Online Employer site offline last Thursday for a short time after the latest security breach was discovered. While the exact cause of the breach was not revealed, the company says it has taken new precautions.

"PayChoice deployed additional security measures to protect client data after the company identified a key mechanism used by online attackers," says CEO Robert Digby. PayChoice's Online Employer site was briefly taken offline after the company discovered the breach, which occurred on Oct. 14. Digby says PayChoice has reopened the site with most functionality after protecting against the methods used in the attack.

The payroll processing company, which boasts more than 125,000 business clients, warned its customers by letter about the new breach after some clients reported "phantom" employees showing up on their payrolls.

The message to PayChoice customers indicated that the hackers may have stolen customer login IDs and passwords by going through a hole in security on the website feature that helps customers change their password. PayChoice says it turned off the change-password feature to fix the vulnerability. (Full text at www.bankinfosecurity.com)

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.StopIdTheftCrime.com and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

Shameless plug
the Best Identity Theft Protection available dot com

Online Crime up Nearly 600% in '09

Expert: 'The Internet Has Never Been More Dangerous'

October 5, 2009 - Linda McGlasson, Managing Editor

Bogus security software applications are among the types of electronic crimes that grew 585 percent over the first half of this year, according to a new study.

The Anti Phishing Working Group's (APWG) latest report shows that rogue anti-malware programs, infected computers and crimeware broke new records in the first half of 2009. The report shows that criminals are innovative and have "apparently unchecked ambition" with crimeware designed to target financial institutions' customers....

....The report also shows:

• The number of unique phishing websites detected in June rose to 49,084 -- the highest since April, 2007's record of 55,643, and the second-highest recorded since APWG began reporting this measurement.


• The number of hijacked brands ascended to an all-time high of 310 in March and remained at an elevated level to the close of the half in June.


• The total number of infected computers rose more than 66 percent to 11,937,944 - now more than 54 percent of the total sample of scanned computers.


• Payment Services became phishing's most targeted sector, displacing Financial Services. Jevans notes that institutions' customers still are a primary target of electronic criminals.

"The Internet has never been more dangerous," Jevans says. "In the first half of 2009, phishing escalated to some of the highest levels we've ever seen." Full text at www.bankinfosecurity.com)

I don't want to tell you that "I Told You So...but..."

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.StopIdTheftCrime.com and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

Shameless plug
the Best Identity Theft Protection available dot com

Lawsuit: Heartland Knew Data Security Standard was 'Insufficient'

Complaint Says CEO Described PCI as 'Lowest Common Denominator' of Protection

October 5, 2009 - Linda McGlasson, Managing Editor

Months before announcing the Heartland Payment Systems (HPY) data breach, company CEO Robert Carr told industry analysts that the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) was an insufficient protective measure.

This is the contention of a new master complaint filed in the class action suit against Heartland, which in January announced a data breach that is now estimated to be the largest known hack, involving 130 million credit and debt card accounts.

In a November 2008 earnings call, according to the complaint, Carr told analysts, "[We] also recognize the need to move beyond the lowest common denominator of data security, currently the PCI DSS standards. We believe it is imperative to move to a higher standard for processing secure transactions, one which we have the ability to implement without waiting for the payments infrastructure to change." ...

....Heartland executives have said consistently that the company was PCI-compliant at the time on the breach, which the complaint now says may have begun as early as December 2007. Visa, however, removed Heartland from its list of PCI-compliant service providers in March of this year, and one Visa security executive was quoted as saying "We have never seen anyone breached that was PCI compliant."

Heartland was re-certified as PCI compliant in May. (Full text at www.bankinfosecurity.com)

As I've said in past articles, I was one of the 130 million victims. When I was notified in January 2009, I was in Las Vegas doing a seminar on Id Theft at a national convention. My credit union called me and told me that they had to close out my debit card due to the breach. Here I was with $7 in my pocket, no other credit cards with me and 2 more days in Vegas.

I guess "What happens in Vegas - Stays in Vegas!"

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.StopIdTheftCrime.com and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

Shameless plug
the Best Identity Theft Protection available dot com

The Data Breach Blog Missing Blue Cross laptop puts 39,000 physicians at risk

The loss of a Blue Cross laptop has put the sensitive information of possibly 39,000 physicians at risk.

How many victims? Approximately 39,000 individuals have been notified though the actual scope of the breach is unknown.

What type of personal information? Personal information including tax identification numbers, which for some, are the same as their Social Security number.

What happened? The laptop, which contained a database with sensitive information about physicians nationwide, was stolen in August from an employee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association’s national headquarters in Chicago.

Details: It is Blue Cross’ policy to encrypt all information on company computers, Jeff Smokler, national Blue Cross-Blue Shield spokesman told Boston.com. An employee who was authorized to have the information violated company rules, however, by downloading an unencrypted version of the database onto a personal laptop. The laptop was stolen after the employee left headquarters with it.

The breach might affect Massachusetts physicians and other providers the worst because they typically use their Social Security numbers as their tax identification numbers — which was part of the information breached.

Quote: “It took some time to figure out what type of data was on the laptop,’’ Tara Murray, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts spokeswoman told Boston.com. “There is no reason to be believe the data has been used to steal people’s identity, but we are just being cautious . . . to notify them and offering free credit monitoring.’’ (I highlighted this because this is standard boilerplate verbal vomit every time there is a breach! Credit monitoring only covers about 25% of all id theft. What if......the docs will find out the hard way or they can get our service that protects them in all 5 areas of id theft).

What was the response? Blue Cross will review its security procedures and make it a priority to persuade state physicians and other health care providers to apply for a new tax ID number that is different from their Social Security number. In addition, additional encryption will be implemented.

Source: Boston.com, “Blue Cross physicians warned of data breach,” Oct. 3, 2009.

By the way, any Physician reading this and still needs to get his Red Flags Policy before enforcement begins by the FTC on 11/01/09, feel free to visit www.stopidtheftcrime.com for a video and link to create your policy.

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.StopIdTheftCrime.com and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

Shameless plug
the Best Identity Theft Protection available dot com

Senate Bill (SB-20) to bolster California breach law awaits governor

Bill to bolster California breach law awaits governor

Dan Kaplan

September 11, 2009

A new Senate bill in California, which seeks to complement the state's trailblazing SB-1386 data breach disclosure bill, is ready for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's signature.

The new legislation, SB-20, builds on the 2003 bill by requiring that breach notification letters also contain specifics around the data-loss incident, including the type of personal information exposed, a description of the incident and advice on steps to take to protect oneself from identity theft. The law also would require that organizations that suffer a breach affecting 500 or more people must submit a copy of the alert letter to the state attorney general's office.

"Experience over the past half dozen years indicates that too often, the information received [in the letter] is confusing, not clarifying," state Democratic Sen. Joe Simitian, author of both bills, said this week in a news release. "SB-20 ensures that notice of a security breach will be genuinely helpful to consumers."

...The governor must sign or veto the bill by Oct. 11.

SB-1386 laid the groundwork for roughly 45 other states to pass similar laws requiring organizations that expose personal information to notify victims. (Full text at www.scmagazineus.com)

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.StopIdTheftCrime.com and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

Shameless plug
the Best Identity Theft Protection available dot com

Chase Bank Notifies Customers of Breach

Backup Tape Reported Missing from Vendor Storage Facility
September 11, 2009 - Linda McGlasson, Managing Editor

Chase Bank has sent out data breach notification letters to an undisclosed number of customers after a computer tape with customers' personal information was reported missing from a third-party vendor's storage facility.

Tom Kelly, spokesperson for New York-based Chase, the commercial/consumer banking arm of financial giant JPMorgan Chase, says the vendor -- which he would not name -- confirmed it received and maintained the tape, and that its offsite facility had been searched thoroughly after the tape disappeared. Kelly would not say if the data on the tape was encrypted, but says its data can be read only with special equipment and software. "We have no evidence to indicate any of the information has been viewed or used inappropriately," Kelly says. (emphasis added because: That's what they all say. It must be a boilerplate all use in case of a breach) (Full text at www.bankinfosecurity.com)

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.StopIdTheftCrime.com and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

Shameless plug
the Best Identity Theft Protection available dot com

More on Heartland Breach Court Case

I have been out of town since Sept 9th. Now I have to play catch-up or is it Ketchup?

Heartland Update: Judge to Hear Motions to Dismiss Class Action Suits

Attorney: Discovery is "the Biggest Battlefield"

September 9, 2009 - Linda McGlasson, Managing Editor

Preliminary legal hearings have begun in the class action suit against Heartland Payment Systems, the U.S.-based payments processor that was breached in 2008

More than 30 financial institutions from 22 states have joined the lawsuit against Heartland, which is the largest data breach on record, with a reported 130 million credit and debit cards stolen.

....There are two class action suits -- one on the consumer side and the second on behalf of the financial institutions affected by the massive breach. Earlier in June, a Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) panel decided the suits would be held in Houston. ...

..Coffman said that the biggest battle during the August 24 hearing was discovery; specifically, what Heartland will be required to produce now and what will be deferred until next spring after Heartland's anticipated motion to dismiss is argued. Heartland already has filed a motion with the Court asking that all discovery be stayed until after the Court rules on the motion to dismiss. Coffman anticipated that the Court will rule on Heartland's motion to stay discovery shortly....(Full text at www.bankinfosecurity.com)

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.StopIdTheftCrime.com and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

Shameless plug
the Best Identity Theft Protection available dot com

Another Guilty in ID Theft that nailed Bernacke

Makieta Leake, 36 years old, of Prince Frederick, Md, plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy to commit bakn fraud Tuesday in federal court in Alexandria, VA.

She was the fifth person to plead guilty in the scheme that resulted in more than $2 million in losses at 10 banks.

Leake was a doctor's receptionist and admitted stealing bank account information from 37 patients as part of the ID Theft ring that took advantage of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernacke.

She was paid between $200 and $500 for each victim's information. About 40% of the above losses can be traced to her.

Note: It still amazes me that most healthcare professionals still don't know about the FTC's Red Flags Rule and that the must comply with this amendment to the FACTA law. Enforcement begins 11/01/09.

We can assist any business with the Red Flags or FACTA training of their employees. For more info visit http://www.redflagsrulepolicy.com/ or call me.

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit http://www.stopidtheftcrime.com/ and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

Shameless plug
the Best Identity Theft Protection available dot com

66% of Social Networkers Vulnerable to Attack

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networking sites are sweeping the world with tweets, friends and more messaging than ever before, but what’s the cost of all this networking? More than two-thirds of social community members don’t proactively protect themselves from cyber attacks, a survey by the CMO Council and security software maker AVG found.

The study surveyed 250 social networking site users during the second quarter of this year and found that a whopping 64 percent never or rarely change their passwords. All networking sites offer privacy controls to some extent, but 57 percent don’t regularly adjust these settings, therefore providing little to no real protection.

How often do you receive “friend invites” or links within messages from people you don’t know? According to this study, 21 percent of users have accepted such invitations and 64 percent have clicked on links sent by people they didn’t know. (Full story at www.ditio.net)

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.StopIdTheftCrime.com and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

Shameless plug
the Best Identity Theft Protection available dot com

"Soup Nazi" Accepts Plea Deal!

Albert Gonzalez, plead guilty on Friday to 19 count indictment regarding his involvement in the largest identity fraud case in U.S. history. the Heartland Data Breach, where over 170 million credit and debit card numbers were stolen. He agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges.

Under a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, he will serve a sentence of 15 to 25 years. He will also forfeit some $2.8 million in cash, a Miami condo, a car and expensive jewelry.

Gonzalez had once been an informant for the U.S. Secret Service. (For more info on this case, click here)

It still surprises me that most people think they will never be a victim and fail to protect themselves. I can help protect anyone and their identity for as low as $9.95/month and it covers both you and your spouse or significant other. Identity THEFT Shield is provided by a Stock Exchange company and has restoration included should you become a victim of identity theft in any of the 5 areas of id theft. Not just financial.

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.StopIdTheftCrime.com and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

Shameless plug
the Best Identity Theft Protection available dot com

FDIC Warns of Online Fraud Against Banks, Small Businesses

Alert Cites Increase in ACH, Wire Transfer Fraud
August 26, 2009 - Linda McGlasson, Managing Editor

Online crime is increasingly hitting small and mid-size companies in the U.S., draining those entities' bank accounts through fraudulent transfers. The problem has gotten so bad that a financial services group recently sent out a warning about the trend, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) issued an alert today.

"In the past six months, financial institutions, security companies, the media and law enforcement agencies are all reporting a significant increase in funds transfer fraud involving the exploitation of valid banking credentials belonging to small and medium sized businesses," says a bulletin sent on Aug. 21 to member financial institutions by the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center, (FS-ISAC). The FS-ISAC is part of the government-private industry umbrella working with the Department of Homeland Security and Treasury Department to share information about critical threats to the country's infrastructure. The member-only alert described the problem and told its members to implement many of the precautions and monitoring currently used to detect consumer bank and credit card fraud.

The FS-ISAC notice -- and subsequent media attention -- in turn prompted the FDIC alert to warn banking institutions about this kind of fraud.

The Threat
The FDIC traces the fraud to compromised login credentials on online banking websites. Over the past year, the FDIC says, it has detected an increase in the number of reports and the amount of losses resulting from unauthorized electronic fund transfers (EFTs), such as automated clearing house (ACH) and wire transfers.

...While the institutions and business customers are not necessarily large or high-profile, the money that is being drained by the criminals can add up to significant amounts. One recent example: Dwelling House Savings and Loan Association, Pittsburgh, PA. The tiny institution failed after an ACH fraud event siphoned off a whopping $3 million. ...
(Full text at www.bankinfosecurity.com)

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.StopIdTheftCrime.com and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

Shameless plug
the Best Identity Theft Protection available dot com

Federal Reserve Chairman Id Theft Victim

No one is safe from id theft, not even chairman, Ben Bernake, of the Federal Reserve. His personal checking account became an elaborate id theft scheme after his wife, Anna, had her purse stolen last August at a Capital Hill Starbucks. According to a Washington DC police report, it contained her social security card, checkbook, credit cards and IDs.

It's not revealed how much money was stolen from their account but someone started cashing checks on their account just days after the purse was stolen. The thefts helped an ongoing investigation into a sophisticated ring.

Losses from the fraud totaled more than $2.1 million and involved at least 10 financial institutions, court documents said.

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.StopIdTheftCrime.com and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

Shameless plug
the Best Identity Theft Protection available dot com

"One Tree Hill" star actor who plays Skills guilty of selling Social Security Numbers.

Yes, you read the title right! "One Tree Hill" actor Antwon Tanner pleaded guilty to selling 16 Social Security Numbers and 3 Social Security cards for $10,000.

He told the federal judge that he was just a middleman selling the numbers someone else gave him. Tanner will be sentenced on Nov 20 and could get up to one year in the slammer and a cool $250,000 fine.

I'm told that he also faces similar charges here in California.

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.StopIdTheftCrime.com and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

Shameless plug
the Best Identity Theft Protection available dot com

Radisson Hotels Suffer Data Breach

Radisson Hotels Suffer Data Breach. It's not this article that amazes me but the number of people that I speak with daily who do not see the need for Identity Theft Protection with full restoration services and/or Prepaid Legal Services since an identity theft is going to be a legal issue.

Radisson Hotels Suffer Data Breach

Unknown Number of Records Exposed During 6-Month Period

August 21, 2009 - Linda McGlasson, Managing Editor

An unknown number of Radisson Hotel guests in the U.S. and Canada may face credit card fraud in the wake of a data breach announced by the hotel chain this week.

In an open letter to customers, Fredrik Korallus, CEO of the hotel chain detailed the breach, which involved computer systems invaded by hackers for a six-month period, from Nov. 2008 to May 2009.

According to the hotel chain's spokesperson, David Chamberlin, the forensic investigation of the breach is still underway, with federal law enforcement involved, and the company isn't unable to provide accurate estimates of the number of potentially exposed records.

...The facts of the breach released by Radisson:

• Between November 2008 and May 2009, the computer systems of some Radisson Hotels & Resorts in the U.S. and Canada were accessed without authorization. This past spring, the company was able to confirm an intrusion. The investigation is ongoing.

• The accessed computer systems contained guest information such as the name printed on a credit or debit card, the account number and the expiration date on the card. "We do not know, however, whether a particular name, credit or debit card number or card expiration date were in fact accessed or taken," he says.

• The accessed computer systems did not include Social Security numbers.

• The hotel says at this time, "it appears to be an unauthorized attack from an outside source, and have no reason to believe it was an insider."

• The hotel says it has worked closely with the major credit card brands, issuers, the credit reporting agencies, and its payment processor, Elavon, to address the incident.

• It also placed ads announcing the breach in the Wall Street Journal and USA Today on Wednesday and has set up a dedicated web site to address customer questions.

• Notification letters were sent to affected consumers, where they were able to be identified, Chamberlain says.... (Full story at www.bankinfosecurity.com)

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.StopIdTheftCrime.com and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

Shameless plug
the Best Identity Theft Protection available dot com

Massachusetts Data Protection Law Amended, Delayed - Again

Before you read this article you should know that the Massachusetts law mentioned here is the strictest law in the nation. It has requirements that a business must comply with in regards to identity theft in the workplace. Their requirements are tougher than the FTC's current FACTA law and the Red Flags Rule amendment.

For those business owners reading this, this is what we do at no direct cost for most businesses:
1. We provide a personalized written policy outlining specific requirements for protecting the non-public information of customers vendors and employees.

2. A letter that can be used when appointing a security compliance officer - see www.ftc.gov under Gramm, Leach, Bliley.

3. A comprehensive training program which (www.FTC.gov "Protecting Personal Information: A Guide for Business") is a suggested first step (pages 16-17) in protecting NPI and educating employees about the risks/liabilities of identity theft and data loss.

4. When employees complete the training, we provide the "Use of Confidential Information by Employee" form that serves as proof they've completed a mandatory training in handling NPI. This signed document demonstrates that the company is taking reasonable measures to protect customer, employee and vendor information.

We also offer an online Red Flags Rule compliance module at www.RedFlagsRulePolicy.com

Massachusetts Data Protection Law Amended, Delayed - Again

New Rules Now Won't Apply Until March 2010

August 20, 2009 - Linda McGlasson, Managing Editor

Once again, Massachusetts is delaying the compliance deadline for its toughest-in-the-nation data protection rules. The new effective date is March 1, 2010.

Saying that the state must balance the needs of consumer privacy protection with the needs of small business, the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) has also amended its data security regulations. Earlier this week the OCABR announced the revised rules will facilitate a "risk-based approach" to data security - an approach that is expected to help the small-business community.

The OCABR also modified the regulations to make them technology neutral. A public hearing on the changes will be held on September 22 in Boston.

Barbara Anthony, the Massachusetts Undersecretary of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, says the adjustments to Massachusetts' identity theft regulations will also reinforce flexibility in compliance by small businesses.

The risk-based approach is especially important to small businesses that may not handle a lot of personal information about customers, says Anthony. Under a risk-based approach, a business, in developing a written security program, should take into account its size, nature of its business, the kinds of records it maintains, and the risk of identity theft posed by its operations. (Full text at www.bankinfosecurity.com)

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.StopIdTheftCrime.com and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

Shameless plug
the Best Identity Theft Protection available dot com

"SoupNazi" Indicted in largest US Identity Theft Case

Federal Authorities indicted three men in New Jersey in a massive identity theft case that the Justice Department is labeling as the largest in American history.

Truth of the matter is that only one body is actually in custody. The other two that were indicted are Russians, whereabouts unknown. Albert Gonzalez of Miami, age 28, also known as the "SoupNazi" online (must have been a Seinfeld fan) if convicted, could face up to 20 years on a charge of wire-fraud conspiracy and an additional five on the conspiracy charge. He also faces fines of up to $250,000 for each charge.

The Department of Justice calls this "the single largest hacking and identity theft case ever prosecuted." There were about 130 million credit and debit card numbers stolen. I was one of the victims back in January.

The three culprits, hacked into and took the card numbers from Heartland Payment Systems; 7-Eleven Inc., a Texas-based convenience store chain and Hannaford Brothers Company, a Maine-based supermarket chain.

This is not Mr. Gonzalez' first crime either. in May 2008, the U.S. Attorney's Office of New York charged him for his alleged role in the hacking of a computer network run by a national restaurant chain. He is slated to stand trial on those charges in September of 2009.

In August of 2008, he was indicted on additional charges for a number of hacks into eight major retailers including discount giant TJ Maxx that involved an estimated 40 million credit cards and cost TJ Maxx $200 million. He is scheduled for trial on those charges in 2010, the Department of Justice said.

Gonzalez, if convicted, will undoubtedly be spending a long time in Federal Prison after all the trials, that is unless he can prove that it was not him. Maybe somebody stole his identity to do the crime.

Either way, with the money he must have been paid for his work, I don't understand why he is still in the US and not abroad with the Russians avoiding extradiction.

After research, I found the following video with Albert Gonzalez and it could actually be his Attorney's best defense for him, click here to watch.

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.StopIdTheftCrime.com and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

Shameless plug
the Best Identity Theft Protection available dot com

ID Theft Red Flags: 4 High Risk Areas

ID Theft Red Flags: 4 High Risk Areas

What You Might Not Know About Staying in Compliance -- and Secure

August 13, 2009 - Linda McGlasson, Managing Editor

There are four "high risk" areas that aren't getting the attention they deserve as financial institutions work toward complying with the ID Theft Red Flags Rule, says a leading industry compliance expert. ...

...The Red Flags Rule is a risk-based regulation. As such, Huda says, compliance should be approached from a risk management and not a purely technical perspective, and institutions should ask these questions:

• Which accounts are more at risk to identity theft?
• Which red flags represent higher risk?
• Which detection and response procedures are commensurate with the risks?
• Which service providers pose greater risk?
• What controls exist to mitigate the risks?

...There are four areas Huda says that are "high risk" that many financial institutions have not paid enough attention to are:

1. Service Providers. Many have not conducted an inventory, risk-ranking or assessment done on service providers. This may be the weakest link in the chain.


2. Business accounts. Many have focused only on consumer accounts. The rule applies to any account with a reasonably foreseeable risk of identity theft, not just consumer accounts. Small business accounts in particular are susceptible to identity theft and must be analyzed for risk.


3. Training. Many have not provided proper training to staff. The training does not cover what the written, board-approved program deems to be the red flags one should be on the look out for, nor what one should do to respond. The training is very general and does not cover how to comply. How can identity theft actually be prevented if one does not know what to look for and what to do if one finds a red flag?


4. Updates. Many have put their program on the bookshelf, forgetting to update it to address new risks or changes in operations. For example, if a new line of business is opened, a new service provider added or new products or services are rolled out, or identity theft is attempted or perpetrated, the Program must be updated. (Full story at www.bankinfosecurity.com)

Many business owners have the same issues as financial institutions. That is why I recommend www.RedFlagsRulePolicy.com for businesses by idBUSINESS. It is an online module that not only creates your policy but allows you to email vendors to take an assessment test as well. You will also be able to email your employees to take the online training for the Red Flags Rule.

Business owners can also take a free Needs Assessment at the site.

As a distributor for idBUSINESS, I can also offer business owners a discount - just contact me.

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.StopIdTheftCrime.com and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

Shameless plug
the Best Identity Theft Protection available dot com

Elder abuse and identity theft: Why they are targeted and true crime stories

Elder abuse and identity theft: Why they are targeted and true crime stories

August 4, 12:44 PMHouston Family ExaminerLisa Carey

When most people think of elderly abuse they think of neglect, physical, sexual or psychological abuse. There is another form of elder abuse or abuse of senior citizens; that of “using the money or resources of an older person without their knowledge or consent to benefit yourself or another person.” Identity theft falls into that category, as family members, caregivers and strangers may take advantage of the elderly in an effort to gain their hard earned money and credit report.

Why is the elderly targeted for identity theft and financial crimes?
-In some cases they may have more money, cash reserves, home equity, and other resources that others as they may have been working for retirement all their lives.
-Many seniors are not “technologically savvy” so may not be aware of many of the scams that are based around Internet usage.
-Since seniors may not be actively “using” their credit report they are less likely to check it regularly and monitor it carefully.
-Retirement home staff, home caregivers and family members may take advantage of their position of trust as well as the information readily available to them.

What forms of abuse may identity theft and other financial scams take?
-investment fraud
-mortgage fraud
-phony charity solicitation
-so called “prize” money awards where they must provide information that can be used later against them
-check cashing fraud
-credit card fraud
-forging signatures to benefit in a financial way (cashing checks that came to the elderly)

The saddest part of all about identity theft, financial scams and frauds against the elderly is that far too often it is committed by someone in a position of trust, like a caregiver or family member. (Full text at www.examiner.com)

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.StopIdTheftCrime.com and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

Shameless plug
the Best Identity Theft Protection available dot com

Network Solutions Data Breach: 573,000 Cardholders at Risk

Network Solutions Data Breach: 573,000 Cardholders at Risk

Company Says It Was PCI-Compliant When Hacked

July 28, 2009 - Linda McGlasson, Managing Editor

A data breach at Internet domain administrator and host Network Solutions has compromised personal and financial data for more than 573,000 credit and debit cardholders. To add more pain to the breach, Network Solutions says it was PCI compliant at the time of the breach.

The breach, discovered in June, was the result of hackers planting rogue code on the company's Web servers used to host mostly small online stores, intercepting financial transactions between the sites and their customers. No further explanation of how the rogue code made its way onto the company's servers was available from Network Solutions. When asked, Susan Wade, Network Solutions communications representative says "Not at this time. Because of the ongoing law enforcement investigation, we aren't able to release that information."

Compromised data was captured between March 12 and June 8, 2009, when the breach was discovered, says Wade.

The last PCI assessment and certification of Network Solutions' networks was completed on October 31, 2008, says Wade. The firm that performed the assessment was the Payment Software Company, a San Jose, CA-based qualified security assessor company.

The 4.343 ecommerce merchant customers were notified of the breach on Friday, July 24, via an email and a letter sent via US postal service, Wade says. Network Solutions provides service to more than 10,000 merchant websites.

....Affected merchants can visit www.careandprotect.com, the website Network Solutions set up for them to get more information. .. (Full text at www.bankinfosecurity.com)

To learn more about Identity Theft and what to do if you are a victim, visit www.StopIdTheftCrime.com and subscribe to the newsletter to obtain your free 46 page eBook "Fighting Back Against Identity Theft".

Remember, estimates are that every 2-4 seconds an Identity is compromised. Why take chances? Why not protect yourself and your loved ones with the best suite of services provided (including restoration) by the best NYSE company in the field? Educate yourself and visit the shameless plug below or call me at (909) 208-3728!

Shameless plug
the Best Identity Theft Protection available dot com