Category: Thought Leadership

Fingerprint Biometrics: Just How Safe is the iPhone 5s Touch ID System?

Featuring the new “fingerprint sensor” Touch ID, the Apple iPhone 5s was released last week. Yet only two days after the release of the new phone, Germany’s Chaos Computer Club claims it already cracked the Touch ID system! Although there are positives to using biometric authentication, there are also areas of concern when it comes to your security. Click to learn more.

Data Brokers, Transparency, and the Future of our Private Identities: Part 1 of 2

Acxiom, one of the top data brokers in the country, is adding a new layer of consumer awareness and transparency. But even with this new transparency, we are missing the elephant in the room in regards to data brokers. Keep reading to learn how data brokers have been changing the very nature of what constitutes our individual private identity, with little or no input from the general public.

 

PRIVATE WiFi’s Response to the Recent NSA Revelations

In the following article, CEO Kent Lawson clarifies how user data is kept private and safe when using PRIVATE WiFi.

The recent revelations about the NSA’s ability to weaken privacy safeguards should remind us that privacy laws and rules need to be protected. We will continue to be a product that considers your privacy its top priority.

Ask the Expert: Search Engines that Protect Your Privacy

How do you think Google (and Facebook) make so much money? You are the product. They track which websites you visit, create a profile based on these sites (and other offline information), and then turn around and sell this information to advertisers.

Click to learn more about two anonymous search engines: DuckDuckGo and Ixquick.

Health Insurance Exchange & Online Safety

With the open enrollment period for Health Insurance Exchange websites right around the corner — October 1, 2013 — the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) recently issued a scam alert warning consumers to be aware of fake databases. The most frequently asked questions from consumers have been “are the databases safe?” and “is my information secure?”

Read on to discover the ITRC’s assessment of the risk and for tips on how to keep your medical data safe.

DefCon Conference Report: Your Home Router and Even Your Appliances are Vulnerable to Hackers

Recently, 15,000 hackers and security experts gathered in Las Vegas for DefCon 21, an annual conference where all the new hacking exploits and computer vulnerabilities are discussed.

While attendees learn how to wage new attacks on many systems, the conference also discusses how to prevent these attacks.

Military and Social Media Scams

Often a vulnerable population from a consumer protection standpoint, the military has a unique set of challenges when engaged in social media as well. In fact, the Army has a division (the Online and Social Media Division in the Office of the Chief of Public Affairs) that recognizes the need for educating its soldiers on the effective and safe use of social media. Additionally, just a few weeks ago, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, commonly known as CID, warned the Army community to be “vigilant of internet scams and impersonation fraud, especially within popular social networking and dating websites.”

The Identity Theft Resource Center offers up some tips on how military personnel can keep themselves protected against social media scams.

google

Ask the Expert: What Google Knows

Q: “I just read a shocking article which stated that Google recently told a court that users should not expect privacy when using their services, and that if a user wants privacy, they should use another service. I love gmail and YouTube, but I’m scared about a huge corporation knowing so much about me. Should I be wary of using Google products?”

Click to find out more!

Mobile Phone or Monitoring Bracelet? Court Rules Your Cell Phone Tracking Data is No Longer Private

The United States Appeals Court for the Fifth Circuit recently ruled that law enforcement does not have to issue a warrant in order to access historical location data that is stored by cellphone providers.

The court ruled that your location data is a “business record” and is not private information about you protected by the Fourth Amendment. To paraphrase Joe Biden, this is a BFD.

Where Are Data Breaches Really Coming From?

Last week’s Citi Bike data breach caused quite a flurry, exposing 1,174 pieces of user data after a technical glitch; like a hurricane, the story broke, caused confusion and chaos, and then just as quickly died down.  In relative terms, the Citi Bike breach is a small one.  However, one of the most surprising elements of this breach were the public comments which expressed outrage at the banks, credit card companies, even the government.

But the reality is: this was a business breach and it was the responsibility of NYC Bike Share to protect the information. With all these people up in arms about the financial industry reporting yet another breach, we think it’s important that consumers really know what they are up in arms about.  Read on to learn more about where data breaches come from.

The Pros and Cons of a Credit Freeze vs. Fraud Alert

Individuals who receive a data breach notification letter are not automatically victims of identity theft.  There is, however, a strong correlation between data breaches and identity theft.  According to a recent Javelin study, one in four data breach notification letter recipients eventually becomes a victim of identity fraud.  However individuals that are not yet victims of identity fraud will not necessarily face the same level of complexity in responding to the issue.

Two of the strongest tools in the arsenal are the Fraud Alert and the Credit Freeze.  Below is the explanation of what each action will accomplish, the pros and cons of each, and why timing is also key.