Category: Thought Leadership

Identity Protection: 5 Tips to Stay Mobile Secure in 2015

Living a mobile lifestyle does not come without risk, especially where your identity is concerned. But staying mobile secure doesn’t have to be complicated. Consider this: 94.2% of identity victims say they are still highly engaged online and via their mobile devices despite having had their personally identifiable information stolen, according to a recent study from The Identity Theft Resource Center.

So how do we stay safe? Just follow these five tips!

Don’t Give Your Data Away: Blur Your Passwords, Payments, and Privacy

Now is the time to make your online activity a blur. Why? Here are some startling reasons: In the last 18 month, over 157 million US credit card holders have been notified of a breach. Furthermore, the typical web surfer is tracked by 11 companies at each site they visit – resulting in over 2,500 unique tracking and data collection attempts weekly. This is the new reality of the Internet in 2014 – and as 2015 approaches, the treat level will only increase.

ITRC Victim Impact Survey Findings LIVE Event

On Wednesday, October 29, learn about the ITRC’s most recent survey report, “Identity Theft: The Aftermath.” A panel of experts will discuss the survey’s key findings, with a special emphasis on the emotional impact of identity theft on victims, and ways in which the industry as a whole can leverage this information to better serve victims and consumers.

Can’t make it to the event in Washington, DC, but want to be involved? Join in live on Twitter and follow along with the hashtag #IDTheftImpact. Keep reading for more details about this very important event.

WiFi Footprint: Personal VPNs Endorsed as WiFi Hotspots and Autoconnect Functionality Proliferate

“WiFi footprint” is a simple term for a complex issue: the exploding pace of WiFi hotspot creation is not abating and soon a roamable, global alternative network will become our reality.

In a world seemingly saturated in WiFi, the notion of autoconnecting to these networks might seem appealing. However, whether using a laptop or mobile device, security threats remain a constant.

The Rise of the Evil Twin: How a Personal VPN Can Strike Back

We applaud Tech Republic for explaining what we’ve been educating about for years: “Public hotspots all have one thing in common; they are open networks that are vulnerable to attacks and security breaches. Most, if not all, public hotspots do not encrypt data, allowing passwords, email messages, and other information to be intercepted by nefarious types.”

Keep reading to see what else their article suggests — as well as our suggestions for avoiding evil-twin hotspots, dodging hackers, and protecting your identity.

Home Depot Hit by Data Thieves, Similar to Target Breach

Have you heard about the major Home Depot attack? Some say it could be one of the largest data breaches in history, even larger than the Target data breach last year. It speaks to a lack of awareness of security protocols — and has identity theft experts very worried.

Twitter Chat on Back-to-School Identity Protection

PRIVATE WiFi and the Identity Theft Resource Center will be hosting a Twitter chat on Thursday, September 4, at 2pm ET, to discuss the hidden dangers and the ways to prevent a personal data breach of your kids’ information. Keep reading to learn some of the most commonly asked questions about children’s identity security, and of course, please join us Thursday to answer any questions you may have.

Why the Delay? 3 Simple Steps to Protect Your Password Today

Last week brought us the story of a Russian cybergang that hacked into the ownership of 1.2 billion usernames and passwords. Last week also presented me with the most obvious demonstration of aloofness to how people view their personal information.

So just how technologically savvy do you need to be to take one of the strongest measures available to protect your personal information? Well, let’s just say I would bet money that you can do it.

One of NYC’s Free WiFi Providers Goes Kaput

Is New York City’s free WiFi program in trouble?

A research group known as Gotham City Research claims that Gowex, one of the five organizations that former New York City Mayor Bloomberg had chosen to provide free WiFi service in the city’s five boroughs, cooked their books and vastly overstated its earnings. Based on this report, Gowex filed for bankruptcy.

Mobile Threats: What You Need to Know About Mobile Payment Risks and Responsibilities

As we continue to rely on the precarious mix of mobile banking & payments, mobile apps, and public WiFi hotspots, it’s perhaps not such a surprise that online bank fraud is escalating. Quite a bit of this fraud is perpetrated by malicious apps that users inadvertently download on their mobile devices. App developers with malicious intent have become quite adept at concealing the surreptitious nature of these apps.