11.7 Million Persons Reported Identity Theft Victimization in 2008

An estimated 11.7 million persons, representing five percent of all persons age 16 or older in the United States, were victims of identity theft during the two years prior to being surveyed in 2008, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) announced yesterday. The financial losses due to the identity theft totaled more than $17 billion. [...]

Ohio State Computer Containing 760,000 Individuals Personal Information Breached

Ohio State University says unauthorized individuals accessed a computer server containing personal information for approximately 760,000 individuals, including current and former faculty, staff, and students, as well as applicants and other individuals affiliated with the university such as consultants and contractors. The university discovered the breach in late October and said there is no indication [...]

Online Shoppers Concerned About Identity Theft

We face risk everywhere we go. We risk car accidents on the way to the mall. Muggers and thieves present a risk. Heck, you risk catching a cold from a sniffling salesclerk! Similarly, shopping online creates another set of pitfalls, most of which involve financial loss, credit card fraud, or certain forms of identity theft. [...]

McDonald’s Data Breach Reinforces “Back Door Strategies” by Hackers

Yesterday, it was announced that McDonalds Corporation experienced a significant data breach where customer data was compromised via a third-party vendor. Basically, the attackers were able to access the sensitive McDonald’s customer data through a couple levels of subcontractors that manage the company’s email marketing campaigns. A company called Arc Worldwide manages McDonald’s promotional e-mail [...]

60,000 University of Wisconsin-Madison Social Security Numbers Hacked

University of Wisconsin-Madison officials say hackers broke into their computer systems and had access to the Social Security numbers of 60,000 people related to the university. The university became aware of the problem on October 26th and notified the students, faculty and staff members in a letter dated November 30th, said UW-Madison spokesman John Lucas. [...]