Consumers can learn how to avoid identity theft as well as what to do if their identity is stolen at the Federal Trade Commission’s “Fighting Back Against Identity Theft” web site. The FTC’s site offers links, videos and publications to help protect both consumers and businesses. The web site bills itself as “a one-stop national resource to learn about the crime of identity theft.”
Computer Crime Research Center defines “pharming” and “phishing” as methods used to steal personal information from unsuspecting people over the Internet. Pharming tampers with the domain-name server system so that traffic to a Web site is secretly redirected to a different site altogether, even though the browser seems to be displaying the Web address you wanted to visit. To help avoid pharming, make sure the Web site has a valid certificate of authority, from a service like VeriSign, that matches the site’s name before you enter any personal data.
“The most notorious hacker in history,” as described by Bank Info Security, will be sentenced this week for the Heartland Payment Systems, TJX and other major data breaches. Albert Gonzales may face a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. In an ironic twist after his first arrest in 2003, Gonzales worked as a government informant turning in fellow hackers, while maintaining his criminal contacts and planning hacks into multiple companies.
SC Magazine reports that two more retailers can be added to the list of companies targeted in the credit card crime ring orchestrated by Albert Gonzalez, who last week received the largest-ever U.S. prison sentence for a hacker. Major U.S. department store chain JCPenney and women’s clothing retailer Wet Seal can now be included among the companies targeted by Gonzalez and his crew, best known for their compromises of Heartland Payment Systems and TJX, parent of T.J. Maxx and Marshalls.
The Identity Theft Resource Center reports as of March 23 there have been 182 data breaches identified in 2010. Twenty-two of the breaches have been perpetrated against financial institutions, including at least two credit unions. The ITRC compiles data breaches confirmed by various media sources and/or notification lists from state governmental agencies. The list is updated daily, and published each Tuesday.
