Identity Theft Offline -- So Many Possibilities

Chris Simpson, head of Scotland Yard's computer crime unit was unpleasantly surprised to learn how easy it is to cheat anybody out of his or her personal info -- by means of a fake survey.

This survey wasn't a scam; in fact, it was an experiment. It was carried out in March for the Information Security show (April 26-28). The results showed that most people casually give out their personal info.

Market researchers questioned 200 people on London streets in a bogus survey on theater-going habits. 92% of those who took part disproved the common stereotype of British as reserved people. They readily gave out personal data, including first school and birth dates, mothers' maiden names, names of pets -- valuable info for, say, cracking passwords. During the survey many people volunteered such key details as name, address and postcode.

The chance to win free tickets was enough for these people to reveal almost everything one might need to impersonate them. By the end of the survey, the fake researchers had everything they needed to take out credit cards in their name and even open bank accounts. These 200 people were lucky -- the survey was just a trick. But what if it hadn't been?

Instead of laughing at naive and unwary Londoners, let's think whether we all are careful enough with such personal data. Aren't we sometimes give away information without a clear idea how it will be used -- and by whom?

Much cautioned about identity theft and phishing in the Internet, we tend to relax when speaking in person. Most of us will never click links in spam or open attachments if we don't know who sent the email. We don't trust letters asking us for sensitive information. We are getting wiser.

We have heard about identity theft plenty of times. We know that good deal of identity theft occurs offline. But all the same, some of us are still far from having good habits such as shredding personal correspondence before throwing it into the trash, or not having the same easy-to-guess password just for everything.

The odds of identity theft online partly depend on such factors as what anti-virus and anti-spy software is installed on a PC and how often it is updated. Software vendors try to develop and provide effective means of defense against information-stealing malware. Of course, much depends on whether the user is careful enough to avoid a phishing scam, and even on what sites he visits -- one can easily pick malware while visiting certain websites.

As for plain looking over your shoulder when you are writing something down, digging out papers from your trash or picking some valuable info from a casual talk -- nothing will help you if you carelessly scatter information about yourself.

Alexandra Gamanenko currently works at Raytown Corporation, LLC -- an independent software developing company that provides solutions for preventing identity theft.

The company's R&D department created an innovative technology, which capable of blocking information-stealing malware.The company's anti-keylogging software disables the very processes of information capturing -- keylogging, screenshoting, etc.

Learn more -- visit the company's website http://www.anti-keyloggers.com

---

Protection for Your PC - Painless and Free!

Viruses, Bugs, Worms, Dataminers, Spybots, and Trojan horses. The Internet... Read More

Are They Watching You Online?

When surfing the Internet you probably take your anonymity for... Read More

8 Surefire Ways to Spot an EBAY Scam E-Mail and Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

Ebay is a great site and is used by many... Read More

Viruses and Worms, Protection from Disaster

Virus damage estimated at $55 billion in 2003. "SINGAPORE -... Read More

8 Surefire Ways to Spot an E-Mail Identity Theft Scam!

The E-Mail Identity Theft Scam is running Rampant. These E-Mail... Read More

Fishing for Fortunes. Scam!

Spelt phishing, but pronounced as above, this despicable act is... Read More

SPYWARE - Whos Watching Who?

I am in the midst of Oscar Wilde's The Picture... Read More

Avoid Internet Theft, Fraud and Phishing

Since its birth, the Internet has grown and expanded to... Read More

How to Know Whether an Email is a Fake or Not

A few nights ago I received an email from "2CO"... Read More

Beware of Imitations! Security, Internet Scams, and the African Real Estate Agenda

Fishing on the Internet has come a long way. However,... Read More

Hacking the Body Via PDA Wireless Device

First I would like to stress I am condoning the... Read More

Do You Know What your Kids Are Doing Online?

It's a sad statistic, but hundreds of unsuspecting kids are... Read More

Network Security 101

As more people are logging onto the Internet everyday, Network... Read More

What is Spyware?

The most frustrating part of having Spyware on your computer... Read More

Internet/Network Security

Abstract Homogeneous symmetries and congestion control have garnered limited interest... Read More

Corporate Security for Your Home Business

The words Corporate Security may conjure up images of a... Read More

The Never Ending Spyware Story

It's been with us since 1993, it's gotten more intrusive,... Read More

Identity Theft -- 10 Simple Ways to Protect Your Good Name!

Identity Theft is one of the most serious problems facing... Read More

Anti-Spyware Protection: Behind How-To Tips

There is no doubt that "how-to articles" have become a... Read More

Make Money Online - Latest Scam Disclosed

Before we start, I want to make it clear that... Read More

How To Avoid Hackers From Destroying Your Site?

Recently, my site and other internet accounts ( http://www.nabaza.com/sites.htm )... Read More

Be Aware of Phishing Scams!

If you use emails actively in your communication, you must... Read More

If You Steal It, They May Come!

Business on the internet is getting down right shameless. This... Read More

How Did This Happen to Me? Top 10 Ways to Get Spyware or Viruses on Your Computer

If you use the internet, you have probably been infected... Read More

Secure Your PC From Hackers, Viruses, and Trojans

Viruses, Trojans and Spyware: Protecting yourself.No user on the internet... Read More

The One Critical Piece Of Free Software Thats Been Overlooked

Can You Prevent Spyware, Worms, Trojans, Viruses, ... To Work... Read More

Another Fine Mess!

I'm in the Anti-Spyware business, and I'm doing a lot... Read More

How to Fight Spyware

If you are wondering how to fight spyware for safe... Read More

Backup and Save your business!

There you are busily typing away on your PC or... Read More

Hacking Threats and Protective Security

The 1998 Data Protection Act was not an extension to,... Read More

Is The Internet Over Regulated

Today's Internet or World Wide Web is being over regulated.But,... Read More

Ransom Trojan Uses Cryptography for Malicious Purpose

Every day millions of people go online to find information,... Read More

Click Here To Defeat Evil

Microsoft routinely releases new security updates, many of which are... Read More