Site Map - ID issues \ Identity Theft

10/25/2007 - Police should double-check how sure a witness is after picking out a suspect from a police line-up, says researcher.

10/09/2007 - A federal appeals court issued a temporary injunction on a Bush directive requiring background checks on NASA scientists.

10/04/2007 - A major credit bureau offers credit freezes to consumers as a way to prevent identity theft.

09/28/2007 - Terrorists had no problem getting driver’s licenses, which they used as identification to get airline tickets for their 9-11 attacks. That prompted Congress to pass the REAL ID Act in 2005 to force states to beef up security for licenses. Later this month or early next year the federal government will finally issue draft or interim rules telling states exactly what they need to do to be in compliance with that law, which includes only general mandates; it requires states, for example, to verify so-called breeder documents, such as birth certificates, before issuing a license, but it doesn’t say how.

09/28/2007 - A third of higher-education institutions has experienced a data loss or theft—in particular grades and exam questions—in the last year, with nine percent reporting a loss or theft of student personal information, which could affect millions of university students.

09/28/2007 - The bill would also have required that information brokers set up reasonable procedures to verify the accuracy of information they collect, assemble, or maintain. H.R. 4127 would have prohibited information brokers from obtaining or attempting to obtain personal information through false pretenses

09/27/2007 - When sensitive consumer information is stolen, the risk of identity theft rises. Many states have notification legislation; but, writes Michael Turner of the Information Policy Institute, federal rules are needed to prevent “patchwork responses.”

09/26/2007 - When sensitive consumer information is stolen, the risk of identity theft rises. Many states have notification legislation; but, writes Michael Turner of the Information Policy Institute, federal rules are needed to prevent “patchwork responses.” Turner, in Towards a Rational Personal Data Breach Notification Regime, explains that a legislative solution is necessary because “market forces may undersupply notification,” since companies may not wish to notify consumers of a breach if the cost of doing so exceeds the expected damage to the company.

09/25/2007 - Recommendations on how local and federal officials can improve police response in identity-theft cases are in a new report.

09/25/2007 - It’s estimated that millions of Americans each year suffer identity theft. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has set up a Web site to help deter, detect, and defend against identity theft. The site contains a number of educational resources, including a 10-minute educational video that provides an overview of the problem, a PowerPoint presentation, and several PDF publications.  

09/24/2007 - New York City is stirring up controversy with a new policy that allows illegal immigrants access to driver's licenses.

09/24/2007 - Do financial services firms have to encrypt customer data? Also, a computer on a stick, and a cybersecurity checklist for business managers.

09/24/2007 - A bill (H.R. 4127) that would require that companies protect the personal information of customers has been approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the House Judiciary Committee, and the House Financial Services Committee. The bill has now been taken up by the full House. H.R. 4127 would require that any company that holds or transmits individuals’ personal information establish security to protect that information. The bill would also require that information brokers set up reasonable procedures to verify the accuracy of information they collect, assemble, or maintain. H.R. 4127 prohibits information brokers from obtaining or attempting to obtain personal information through false pretenses. The bill defines false pretenses as making false statements or representations or providing counterfeit, lost, stolen, or fraudulently obtained documents.