October 2001 Mfg.Trust Magazine

 The magazine of the
NCMS InfraGard Manufacturing Industry Association

This month -IDENTITY THEFT:
When Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name

Accompanying Resource Page for this Story 

Editor's Preface:

Welcome to the NCMS InfraGard Manufacturing Industry Association!

We have all become increasingly reliant on networked systems for the important resources in our personal and business lives. Our money, critical product information, even our electricity and transportation utilities, are all managed on networks. The recent terrorist attacks on America underscore the fact that business continuity hangs on the smooth functioning of our infrastructure. That smooth functioning is critically important to all of us.

NCMS is dedicated to helping manufacturers develop robust systems that assure uninterrupted production. Although we may not be able to directly influence some infrastructure, such as electricity and water supplies, we can do something about our business information networks. However, NCMS finds that many people are not aware of information assurance issues, both in their personal and professional lives. So our first contribution to helping manufacturers was to partner with the FBI to form the InfraGard Manufacturing Industry Association (IMIA), which will provide awareness and education for the manufacturing community. We'll focus as much on personal issues as on business, because both are important, and because once we understand these issues in our personal lives, the ideas transfer easily to the workplace. We'll always offer solutions you can use - not just scare mongering.

This month we'll address Identity Theft. "That will never happen to me, and it's the credit card company's problem anyway," you might say, but it's just not so. Identity Theft is the fastest growing crime in America, affecting approximately 900,000 new victims each year. Learn what you can do to protect yourself.

The IMIA web site (http://trust.ncms.org) offers far richer content than can fit in just one email magazine, and will store material on past topics that we address. Please visit this month's NCMS Identity Theft Resource Page, and tell your co-workers!

        John Sheridan

IDENTITY THEFT - When Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name

How can someone steal your identity? By co-opting your name, Social Security number, credit card number, or some other piece of your personal information for his or her own use. In short, identity theft occurs when someone appropriates your personal information without your knowledge to commit fraud or theft.

Is this real? Or is this hype? Let's look at a case.

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The following experience of "Mr. Smith" is based on a real identity theft complaint reported to the Michigan Attorney General's High Tech Crime Unit. 

The credit card company was calling to verify the customer's change of address.  The customer, "Joe Smith," was surprised because he had not applied for any new credit cards, and had not changed his address. The credit card company told Mr. Smith the address and phone number where the new card was to be sent.  Mr. Smith became suspicious.

Pretending to be an employee of the credit card company, Mr. Smith called the number of the would-be credit card applicant and asked to speak to "Joe Smith."  After a brief pause, and Mr. Smith had the eerie experience of hearing an imposter assume his identity, as an unfamiliar voice came on the line and answered:  "Yes, this is Joe Smith."  The real Joe Smith hung up the phone and called the police.

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THE FULL STORY:

Terrence Berg, Assistant Attorney General and Head of the Michigan High Tech Crime Unit, wrote an excellent article on Fighting Identity Crime Theft (excerpt above). Turn to http://trust.ncms.org  (Identity Theft frame) to learn about the crime that "keeps on offending" by harming the victim long after the fraudulent transactions are over.

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Heard enough? Don't let something like this become your nightmare.

Identity theft is a terrible personal catastrophe that happens to more and more people around the world every day. Beyond the potential financial loss, and damage to your credit, it is estimated that it takes 200 hours to undo the mess caused by such theft. That's a year's vacation or more! You surely have better ways to spend that much time. Fortunately, there are excellent resources at your disposal to help you defend yourself. All the resources below, and many more, are cataloged and organized at the NCMS Identity Theft Resource Page.

**   At the top of the list is the US Federal Trade Commission's web site http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft. Here, you will find information on prevention, the laws, what to do, an ID Theft Affidavit, and excellent advice in a downloadable (.pdf) booklet.

**   At the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) website, you'll find "Classic cons... and how to counter them." (http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/news/cnsprg98/cons.html)

**   The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, http://www.privacyrights.org/, offers a guide for victims, and advice of how it happens, its impact on victims, and legislative solutions. They also sponsor the Identity Theft Resource Center (http://www.idtheftcenter.org/index.htm), a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing and implementing a comprehensive program against identity theft.

While you can't prevent identity theft, you can minimize your risk by managing your personal information wisely. Please remember, identity theft is not just a personal crime. It happens in the workplace too. You don't ever want to be confronted by a puzzled boss demanding to know: "Why did you buy that $5000 airline ticket to Timbuktu on the corporate card?"

More Resources for NCMS Members

The following relevant articles are available to NCMS members via our ProQuest information service

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Security Magazine; Sep 2001; Bill Zalud;
Title: Combating Electronic Crime

Abstract: If there is one issue in which it is essential that business security and public law enforcement work closely together, it is what is now called cybercrime. For businesses, law enforcement, legislators, and the public, identity theft is an extraordinary concern. Numerous companies are addressing the problem with procedures, policies, and technologies.

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Computer - Aided Engineering; Cleveland; Aug 2001; Peter Marks
Title: Stop! Thief!

Abstract: The actual incidence of crimes against property is fairly low. People ought to worry more about losses of intellectual property. Digitization makes people more secure in some ways. But digitization and the Web also make networks less secure. Identity theft is an example. People are beginning to pay attention to sudden knowledge losses. The larger threat may be bit-by-bit losses of intellectual property. Guidelines on protecting intellectual property are presented.

If you liked Mfg.Trust, please forward it to a colleague!

(c) 2001 National Center for Manufacturing Sciences
http://www.ncms.org