| Gartner Research, a US based research company | | | | responsibility to limit access to your information? If so |
| estimated that 57 million Americans had received | | | | how do they execute that responsibility?Where are |
| spurious e-mail from hackers or cyber-thieves | | | | the safeguards? What eventually happens when I |
| impersonating legitimate services.They further estimate | | | | send a copy of my bank statement to someone I |
| that nearly 11 million have clicked on the link in a phishing | | | | don't know in Malaysia and that company disappears a |
| attack email and 3 percent of those attacked | | | | few months later? Speaking from personal experience, |
| remember giving personal information to the | | | | this happened to me with the demise of a popular |
| thieves.We are continually warned by banks, PayPal | | | | investment program. I wonder who now has that |
| and others to avoid responding to these authentic | | | | information. I have no way of knowing if it has been |
| looking 'lures', but how do we prevent ourselves from | | | | destroyed or sold on to those constructing fake ID's. |
| swallowing the bait? And even when we know a site | | | | There were thousands of members who each gave |
| is genuine, can we trust the operators with our | | | | names addresses, bank account details, passport and |
| details?From Gartner's figures and one's personal | | | | licence details. Why were we required to give them |
| experience it is obvious that such attempts at identity | | | | this level of information and proof of ID? The reason: |
| theft are undermining the confidence we place in our | | | | Because they were trying to prevent theft and fraud |
| everyday email and internet transactions.This has led | | | | by unscrupulous types. We never heard anymore |
| to greater pressure on services to provide improved | | | | from the company about our lost funds - no refunds, |
| security and more involved processes for users to | | | | no apologies and no assurance about the fate of our |
| authenticate themselves.Banks and financial services | | | | records!A cynic might even be forgiven for thinking |
| suffer direct losses from ID theft that cost US banks | | | | that some of the gold exchanges which seem to |
| and card issuers about $1.2 billion last year, according | | | | come and go with alarming rapidity, could be nothing |
| to Gartner. We might add that these losses have to | | | | more than elaborate fronts for the collection of |
| be met in the long run by consumers through fees and | | | | consumer ID's that could be on-sold who knows |
| charges.Large organizations have the resources to | | | | where.If I decide to join similar programs in the future |
| devise and implement sophisticated security measures | | | | and decide to give them false ID as a form of |
| to protect the ID of their customers. Where does that | | | | protection, I have to join the shadowy world of secret |
| leave the 'small' operators, such as the gold | | | | offshore accounts complex and costly money |
| exchangers, merchant account operators, online | | | | transacting. I then leave myself open to the likelihood of |
| auctions, etc?Even where sophisticated systems are | | | | increased scrutiny from authorities. I do not believe this |
| in place, we may still be vulnerable. Banks constantly | | | | is an option for the average person with limited funds.In |
| warn about replying to hoax emails asking you to | | | | their response to organised crime and potential terrorist |
| verify your details or opening virtual postcards.Harder | | | | funding, governments restrict the easy transfer of |
| to spot are emails that may contain worms or Trojan | | | | cash from one place to another.Understandably, in |
| viruses that can place spyware on your PC which | | | | order to comply with regulations covering the tracking |
| may transmit information or give control to a remote | | | | of the movement of money abroad, money |
| user. Keystroke loggers, for example can record and | | | | exchanges need to be able to identify users and |
| send your passwords and logins to an invisible | | | | exclude unscrupulous money launderers as far as |
| thief.Keeping up to date with firewalls and virus | | | | possible, but without improved internal security |
| protection programs that YOU install, is obviously an | | | | measures how can the average user feel safe? The |
| essential step that we can all take to improve our | | | | recent demise of such providers as Intgold and |
| security.Technology notwithstanding, the ultimate | | | | Stormpay does nothing to reassure us.Just to be clear, |
| security lies with human actions.Already we have seen | | | | In general I have no problem with paying online. What |
| a number of online e-money exchanges develop new | | | | should concern us is the (lack of) security of our data |
| procedures whereby we have to send them ID | | | | once it has been given to a merchant. How well do |
| documentation often including photo ID, before we can | | | | they store your data? Do they restrict who sees it or |
| use their services. Even the act of emailing scanned | | | | copies it? Even the credit card companies outsource, |
| documents is not 100% secure. If hackers can access | | | | so how can it be secure?When one considers the |
| email accounts and intercept such transmissions then | | | | sheer volume of material transmitted every day, the |
| ID theft can occur without either the sender or | | | | probability of several bytes of your information falling |
| receiver being able to prevent it.This in itself raises | | | | into the wrong hands must be considered extremely |
| further concerns.In an attempt to make payments to | | | | small.If sensible precautions are taken at your end and |
| local and international merchants, a customer can be | | | | you only deal with people you trust and use large |
| putting himself at risk by passing on sensitive bank and | | | | well-established intermediaries to make your payments |
| personal ID information to companies who may or | | | | so you bring a level of protection between you as |
| may not have suitable safeguards in place to protect | | | | customer and the seller, you should be able to feel |
| that information.Can you be certain what happens to | | | | comfortable in your transactions. But you need to |
| that information you have given to numerous online | | | | beware of how much information you give strangers - |
| companies?Yes the online webpage is 'encrypted' and | | | | just because they ask you for it!Do you give up driving |
| you feel it is 'secure', but who has access to that | | | | because people are injured or killed daily in car |
| information?Can that MLM company or money | | | | accidents? No you maintain your vehicle, obey the |
| exchanger keep your ID secure? Do they have | | | | road rules and keep your wits about you! |