One ID Pro Blog

Nearly 2 million New York utility customers have had personal data compromised in a recent data breach.

The New York State Public Service Commission said on January 23rd that they were looking into the incident in which a software consulting firm employee gained unauthorized access to the databases of two New York based utility companies.  The contractor was working for a parent company of both New York State Electric and Gas and Rochester Gas and Electric.

The breach exposed around 1.8 million customers’ Social Security numbers, birth dates and some account information.

There has been no indication that the exposed data has been misused at this time, but the two utility companies have sent their customers’ letters warning of the breach.  The letter states they are conducting their own investigation into the matter and they urge customers to monitor their credit and bank accounts carefully for any signs of fraud.  They are also offering one year of free credit monitoring.

An identity theft ring operating across the country has been selling the identities of hundreds of Puerto Rican US citizens to illegal immigrants since 2009. It is believed to be the largest single fraud case ever for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, authorities said Wednesday. The identity theft ring provided Social Security cards, birth certificates, and other identification documents, federal officials said.

Fifty people are facing charges of selling… Continue reading

The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) tallied 22.9 million personal records being exposed in 2011.  A staggering 81% included Social Security numbers.

According to a new study from the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) the majority of the data breaches stemmed from hack attacks, followed next by data lost while physically in transit.  The study assessed all known information relating to the 419 breaches that were publicly disclosed in… Continue reading

Information from ScamBusters:

1. Phishing and Identity Theft. As we said earlier, our biggest concern is the amount of information hackers have shown themselves capable of stealing by breaking into the networks of firms that hold our personal records. We think this will continue to grow, along with persistent attempts to capture our confidential information through phishing tricks via spoof sites, emails and cell phone text messages.
2. Malware. Law

The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers about an email phishing scam making rounds.  According to the Greater Maryland CEO, Angie Barnett, emails claiming to be from the BBB were sent to companies across the nation.  The emails stated a complaint had been filed with the BBB and listed the sender as the Better Business Bureau.

One business opened the affected attachment, which launched malware that quickly found the… Continue reading

Data breaches at health organizations are up 32 percent in 2011 from last year according to a study released today by the Ponemon Institute LLC.  These breaches have cost the industry an estimated $6.5 billion dollars.

 “It’s definitely not getting better,” Larry Ponemon, president and founder of the institute, said in an interview. “What we see on the people side, on the technology side and on the governance practice… Continue reading

Police are searching for the thieves responsible for stealing thousands of students’ personal information cards from a South Florida school.

More than 2,000 cards containing personal information of students attending North Miami Beach High School were stolen, according to Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

The cards contain students’ social security numbers, emergency contacts and dates of birth.

“The school district is notifying parents of the theft. The cards contain students personal information… Continue reading

The US Postal Service is warning everyone about a new scam.  The scammers are using the Postal Service’s name to access individuals’ valuable personal information.

“Customers are reporting that they are receiving emails with subject lines containing the text: ‘USPS Delivery Failure Notification,’” said Cleveland Postal Spokesman David Van Allen.

“These emails claim to be from the Postal Service and contain fraudulent information about an attempted or intercepted package delivery… Continue reading

Protect your computer. Install a firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Check for and install the latest updates and run virus scans regularly.

Check a site’s security settings. If the site is secure, its URL (web address) should start with “https://.” You also may see a picture of a small closed lock in the lower right hand corner of the screen.

Shop trustworthy websites: Look for the BBB seal on the site and… Continue reading

A server at Virginia Commonwealth University was recently hacked, exposing personal information on more than 176,000 current and former VCU and VCU Health System faculty, staff, students and affiliates.

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) released a statement regarding the incident.  The university determined that the breach occurred on October 24th, when officials found suspicious files during a routine server inspection. The server immediately was taken offline, and the university began… Continue reading