/24-7PressRelease/ - BOSTON, MA, June 20, 2005 - (IDTheftSecurity.com) Recently, tapes containing the personal data of 3.9 million CitiFinancial customers went missing while in the custody of UPS. Other such tapes have been lost in transit this year. A Boston, Mass.-based security expert says these events show how easily criminals could conduct inside identity theft jobs.
"Massive losses of information are always egregious no matter whether events lead to identity theft," said Robert Siciliano, a nationally televised and quoted authority on personal security and identity theft. Siciliano is author of "The Safety Minute: 01" and an upcoming book, "Identity Theft Pandemic: Curing the Identity Theft Virus."
According to Enterprise Strategy Group research cited in a July 13 USA Today article by Jon Swartz, only a small percentage of financial services firms and other companies encrypt information on backup tapes. The same article quoted Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) questioning the apparent lack of security measures.
"Encryption is an easy, cost-effective means to protect data from theft," said Siciliano. "Any aware citizen should be asking questions. Encryption is like 'Data Security 101.' It is inexcusable for large companies with the resources to implement such measures not to do so."
"Data tapes in transit can be easily misplaced," Siciliano added. "Unencrypted, they are like open books for anyone with moderate computer knowledge and unscrupulous aims."
"These are precisely the circumstances that make inside jobs easy," Siciliano continued. "Identity thieves are everywhere. Many are employed, and some identity thieves certainly understand the benefits of working for a parcel delivery service or bank."
In a June 1 article, The Wall Street Journal's Li Yuan cited January 2005 research from Mazu Networks. The findings revealed "23 percent of 229 U.S. organizations with more than 1,000 employees had at least one internal security breach in 2004."
Yankee Group research cited in the same Wall Street Journal article indicates about two thirds of the $12 billion spent last year on enterprise security was to protect against external threats despite the growing prevalence of internal breaches.
"When it comes to security," Siciliano said, "computer networks at enterprises large and small are like some kinds of candy: hard on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside."
"The events of this past year have shown how easily massive identity theft can occur courtesy of companies' very own employees," Siciliano concluded. "The danger of inside identity theft jobs is clear and present, as we have seen with Time Warner Inc. and others."
Siciliano provides consumer education solutions to Fortune 500 companies and their clients. He has been featured on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, "ABC News with Sam Donaldson," "The Montel Williams Show," "Maury Povich," "Sally Jesse Raphael" and "The Howard Stern Show." Siciliano also leads personal safety and security seminars nationwide.
Siciliano can be reached at 1 (888) SICILIANO (742-4542). The URL http://www.idtheftsecurity.com leads to his Web site. His blog is available at http://www.IDTheftSecurity.blogspot.com.
Siciliano's contact information follows:
Robert Siciliano
Personal Security Expert
PHONE: 888-SICILIANO (742-4542)
FAX: 877-2-FAX-NOW (232-9669)
E-MAIL: Robert@IDTheftSecurity.com
The media are encouraged to get in touch with Siciliano directly. They may also contact:
Brent W. Skinner
STETrevisions
PHONE: 617-875-4859
FAX: 866-663-6557
BrentSkinner@STETrevisions.com
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