Identity theft
This wasn't the best week for data privacy. Reported this week was several data breaches that could lead to massive identity theft.
 
Arkansas National Guard
A external hard drive has been lost on a military base this week. The hard drive contained the information of over 35,000 guards men going all the way back to 1991. The information on the hard drive wasn't encrypted and nobody know were the drive is located. Any member of guard going back to 1991 should monitor their credit report. The drive has been lost for over a month now. We recommend watching all credit reports for at least the next year if not longer.
 
HSBC Data Breach
HSBC announced this week that a former IT Specialist stole tens of thousands of customer files. The ex-employee then tried to sell the information to banks and tax authorities. The amount of data that was stolen account for almost 15% percent of its total customer base.
 
Identity Theft Cost at $54 Billion in 2009
In the latest report released by security experts 11.1 million Americans were victims of identity theft. The amount of theft and fraud added up to over $54 billion buy consumers and business. This figure is expected to grow for at least the next decade.
 
Internet Safety and Kids
The FCC is planning to roll out an expansion of high speed internet. This increase of broadband across the country will call for a greater need for internet safety. The FCC is call for greater education and literacy on what is internet safety and internet safety for kids. The education also calls for teach kids about critical thinking tips and how to identify potential risk.
 
ISP Shut Down of Malware
Troyak.org was shut down this week due to malware. This ISP has a well known reputation for spreading malware all across the internet. The ISP was known for spreading over 25% of the world's Zeus botnet according to Cisco and RSA FraudAction security. We here at Internet Safety Center commend this effort. When known ISP are spreading malware should be shut down. These ISP know what is going on and if they aren't going to stop he threats then they should be shut down.
This would be a good time for verify your anti-virus software is current with the latest updates. If you don't have anti-virus software you can check out our reviews.