| Updated: 5/04/2011 10:17 pm |
Published: 5/04/2011 9:41 pm
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"Organizations still aren't protecting data the way they should be. People are not protecting this data and their customers as they need to be."
It's a mess, any member of the Playstation gaming network, the over 100 million subscribers, could essentially be robbed of their personal information at any moment.
"Any data you've given them at this point is fair game to the hackers that includes credit cards, even your mothers maiden name."
Alex and Mike are professional digital security consultants. It's their job to make sure companies large and small are protected against security breaches that could cost them thousands to recover from.
"It all falls back down to how you are storing the data, basically how you are managing you internal process to ensure those protective mechanisms stay in place."
That's where Sony dropped the ball, allowing their entire database to be compromised. and as companies that help protect against hackers grow stronger, the game changes.
Alex explains, "An agent from the secret service came and spoke with us and said the problem isn't the kid next door, it's the guy across the ocean who has a whole group of people focused on one target until they get in."
It's not like people have given up on rummaging through your trash to steal your identity. There is some junk mail, you cannot just throw away.
Shredding important documents is nothing new, but on the cusp of Sony Playstation's network breach and in the golden age of social networking it's not a bad time for a refresher course. We visited with Kelly Herneisen with American Document Shredder.
"Utility bill stubs, credit card statments, shred them. Even if you mail cash in, people still do that. Don't do that stuff as far as putting cash or monetary in a mailbox, put it in a lockbox."
Those credit card applications are the absolute worst.
"All you have to do, get someone else's application, get the number and open up the account."
Bottom line besides you name, identity thieves don't need much else.
"Don't put your birth date where it is visible, that's all they need to start the file to have your identity stolen."
