Identity Theft Awareness

Very clearly identity theft is out of our hands. In many ways, this is true. Professional thieves are using very sophisticated tools to penetrate major companies like Heartland. And the breaches like Heartland dwarf the myriad of other breaches going on at the same time. You cannot eliminate the chance that your identity will be stolen. So is there anything that you can do to minimize your exposure? Well, yes, but it may cut into your lifestyle a bit. Here are ten suggestions: Minimize the use of credit/debit cards. If your information is not out there, it can't be stolen. Of course, checks can be compromised, too, so use these carefully. Carry only the minimal amount of personally identifiable information in your purse or wallet. You don't need to carry your Social Security Number card with you! Remove any extra credit cards or ID cards. Keep these items in a safe place at home or in a safety deposit box. Take note of which cards you are carrying and how t

Banks and credit unions all across the country have been shutting off credit/debit cards and reissuing them. Heartland Payment Systems has been sued by several companies, banks, and individuals. Interestingly, Heartland was compliant with the PCI standards of the day. Heartland has now beefed up its security above and beyond the PCI specs. Whether it will be enough to keep it afloat as a company remains to be seen. In 2005, CardSystemsSolutions, a major payment processor, folded after its breach of 40 million credit card accounts were compromised; the Heartland breach is measured in the hundred million range. And the stolen card numbers are showing up. Already there have been arrests, where card numbers appeared in Visa and MasterCard gift cards. Those arrested, though, do not appear to be the masterminds behind the breach, just criminals who purchased the numbers. Authorities suspect an Eastern European group behind the break-in at Heartland. As the banking industr