Robert Siciliano is a NextAdvisor.com Expert Guest Blogger
in 2007, an American couple was the victim of identity theft when a criminal access their online bank account and stole $ 26,500 from a line of credit home equity. The money was transferred to an Austrian bank that refused to return the funds to the Citizens Bank Financial. Thus, the financial citizens informed the couple that they were responsible for the loss. When the couple refused to pay, the bank informed the credit bureaus that their account was overdue and threatened foreclosure on their home. So the couple sued the bank, alleging violations of the electronic funds transfer Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the bank accusing it of neglect.
Who should be held responsible? Well, the jury, AOS out. Literally.
Does the couple accidentally give their data to a phisher? They were silent, or was it just bad luck? their Internet security software has been updated? Is it important? If the bank activate their political zero liability and simply chalk it up to a loss? I, AOM a big believer in personal responsibility. However, if the bank offered a system that can then be easily defeated maybe they should bear some responsibility.
White Hat pirates are struggling to keep a step ahead of the criminals. There are other ways to compromise data today than ever before. Viruses have quadrupled in a year, just over 15,000 in 2007 to nearly 60,000 in 2008. The black hat hackers are in full force.
In 2000, the white hats were supposedly about a year ahead of the Black Caps in technology, which means it should take about a year for black hats to hack the white hats. Other research shows that in 2004, the black hats were about two weeks behind the white hats. And now here we are in 2009. In many cases, the black hats are years ahead of the white hats. The good guys are losing.
Many new viruses are already on your hard drive, dormant, waiting for a signal to activate. They can be Trojan horses, waiting to strike when you log into your online bank account.
We tend to have many viruses in our body, which took control once our immune system is weak, or when they come into contact with each other. Similarly, your PC may have viruses lurking inside. It, AOS easy for a PC to get a virus just when we visit a Web site, click a link or download a program that we believe to be safe.
The technology of criminal hacker has evolved and continues to evolve faster than the white hats. This means that you must be on your game. Stay informed, and Don, AOT your guard.
Get a credit freeze in ConsumersUnion.org. This is an absolutely necessary tool to secure your credit. In most cases, it prevents new accounts from being opened in your name. Invest in protecting against identity theft. All forms of protection against identity theft can be prevented, but identity theft protection services can dramatically reduce your risk. Make sure your Internet security software is up to date and set to run automatically. Keep your web browser updated, since the browsers date are often riddled with holes worms can squeeze through. And check your online bank statements often, at least once a week, for suspicious transactions.
Robert Siciliano, identity theft speaker, discusses the insecurity banking online.
Robert Siciliano is CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, an expert on identity theft, professional speaker, security analyst, published author and television news correspondent. Siciliano works with Fortune 1000 and start-up companies as a consultant on product launches, branding, messaging, representation, SEO and media. thoughts Siciliano, AOS and advice on these issues often appear in both television and print media news, including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, FOX, Forbes and USA Today. He has 25 years of safety training as a member of the American Society for Industrial Security. He is the author of two books, including The Safety Minute: Living on high alert; How to take control of your personal safety and to prevent fraud . He, OSA is also associated with Uni-Ball to help raise awareness of the growing threat of identity theft and provide tips on how you can protect yourself.