Identity fraud scheme targeting foster care and adoptive parents

In a new incident proving – as if more evidence was needed – that one of the biggest data security threats comes from the inside, an administrative tech of the Texas Child Protective Services in Houston decided to steal data on potential foster care and adoptive parents and use it to apply for credit cards. Together with an outside accomplice, they had used the stolen information to apply for said credit cards at various stores.

Luckily enough, the credit card issuers noticed some discrepancy in the way formed were filled out and the two were discovered and arrested after stealing data on only 70 individuals. The two accomplices charged with fraudulent possession of identifying information could face up to 10 years in prison and a 10,000 US dollar fine. Not quite worth it for some extra stolen cash that probably never came through.

As of now it is unclear if any of their identity theft attempts was successful. We do hope they have failed miserably.

Corporate data breaches raise the risk of consumer ID theft

If a company, bank of hospital handling your private details has suffered a data breach, you are four times more likely to have your identity stolen. So if you have received a notification letting you know your data has been exposed, you should acknowledge the greater risk for ID theft or fraud, says a recent study by Javelin Research and quoted by DarkReading.

This new report comes to completely contradict breached companies breached who commonly state they have no indication that the compromised data has been used by criminals.

“During each of the past three years, an average of 11 percent of consumers received a breach notification,” Javelin said. “Slightly more than 33 percent of breach victims experienced exposure of their Social Security numbers, and 15 percent of breach victims had their ATM PINs compromised. [But] despite 19.5 percent of breach victims suffering some kind of fraud in the past year, only 2 percent attribute their fraud to the breach.”

Second Hand Hard Drive with Missile Defense Data

Buying second hand PCs might be quite an adventure. Especially if they contain sensitive information that could blow one’s mind out, as it happened for a group of researchers from the University of Glamorgan in Scotland. According to a DarkReading article, the researchers found their used hard drives to contain details of test-launch procedures for a U.S. defense missile.

The researchers have included these findings in the results of a a five-year study that aimed to show the dangers of poor hard drive and device data-wiping and disposal practices. Acording to this years’ results, which are not yet final, the research also led them to sensitive data from Ford Motor, Laura Ashley, and other businesses.

This year, the researchers found personal or sensitive data on 34 percent of 300 hard disks bought randomly at computer fairs and online auctions in the U.K., U.S., Germany, France, and Australia. The information was enough to expose individuals and firms to fraud and identity theft, they said.

So if someone indulged in the idea of starting a fraud or theft based scam, all they needed is to start buying used computer parts. It’s easy and far less dangerous than actually atemtping to steal the data directly from the businesses currently using them.

CoSoSys uses humor to teach about security threats

As you’ve probably seen on this blog, there are news about security breaches, people who’ve been affected by identity theft and fraud, billions of dollars in losses every single day. More a day in really bad cases. Although there’s a ton of information out there, individuals and companies still fail at protecting themselves against such breaches and at keeping their private data safe.

CoSoSys, leading developer of endpoint security and data loss prevention solutions, has chosen a different approach to raise awareness about the risks we face everyday: humor, namely a series of comic strips showing what can really happen. As CNET puts it, they put the fun back in security threats.

The first comic, originally published on CoSoSys’ EndpointProtector.com site shows how easy it is for an employee to copy your entire data base and take it to your main competitor. A simple thumb drive, three minutes left alone in the office, and that’s it!

But as fun and laughing are not the only goals of the strip, each of them also helps you find out what to do and how you do it. Designed to promote the company’s most popular DLP, endpoint security and device management solution, Endpoint Protector, each issue will show how everything can be prevented.

“Recent research performed in both the US and the UK shows a troubling trend: data breaches are rising in numbers and in costs as well. Millions of people have their data exposed to identity theft or fraud each year and few of those affected or those responsible of the incidents know that most of these instances could easily be prevented. Making sure that your private records and all endpoints in your network are secured is not a difficult task. That is why we are committed to put our best efforts into raising awareness and educating the public about staying safe without making any lifestyle compromises”, explained Roman Foeckl, CoSoSys CEO.

The next issues of the strip will be published each Thursday for the next 7 weeks. You can see them here or register to get them on your email. Easier if you asked me, as remembering to visit a link every week is not something I usually do.

FAA Data Breach Exposes Records of 45,000

A recent breach reported by the Federal Aviation Administration has exposed the private data of about 45,000 employees, as a result of a hack in one of the FAA computer systems. The FAA has released a warning notice, quoted in Dark Reading, stating that employee personal identity information has been stolen during the illegal access. Those affected by this security breach will also receive individual letter, letting them know their data is stolen and probably used in fraud or identity theft attempts.

“Two of the 48 files on the breached computer server contained personal information about more than 45,000 FAA employees and retirees who were on the FAA’s rolls as of the first week of February 2006,”  states the notice. “The server that was accessed was not connected to the operation of the air traffic control system or any other FAA operational system, and the FAA has no indication those systems have been compromised in any way.”

The FAA also stated it has learned its lesson and taken the necessary steps to prevent future incidents of the sort. They are also taking long term measures to protect personal information. As for those who have been affected by this very real breack, there’s a a toll-free number and some details on the employee site.