Network Solutions Begins a Damage Control Effort

If anyone still has reservations as to whether or not to have some sort of identity theft mitigation service one only needs to consider the following.

Following disclosure of a data breach that may have compromised the credit card data of more than 573,000 patrons of small commercial Web sites, Internet domain administer and host Network Solutions has initiated a crisis response effort. Reaching out to its clients affected by the breach, Network Solutions has offered assistance in helping sites notify those customers whose credit card data may have been compromised, including offering credit monitoring services. Network Solutions spokesperson Susan Wade told DMNews, "Unfortunately, something like this could happen to any online business, so we're just letting our customers know that we're there for them, we will help them as much as we can, and we take this issue very seriously."

It is important to recognize that identity theft can and often does raise its ugly head in many different ways. Our information is out in the world and used by thousands of businesses and government agencies constantly. It doesn't take a statistician to see that the odds are that your information will be compromised, and likely many times. Why then would anyone want to gamble that they won't become the victim of the most difficult crime in history. Difficult you say? When identity theft strikes records are corrupted with false information. There is no one source to use to correct them and once corrupted the onus is on the victim to prove that they have been victimized. When the data says one thing how are you going to prove otherwise? Most victims spend years trying to correct their health or SSN files or DMV or insurance records, or any number of files that are used to shape who we are perceived to be in the official and public eye.

Having a service which will not only shortcut the crime but most importantly go to work for you to correct those records no matter how or when they have been corrupted by misuse of your personal data. It is also in the best interest of each and every employer to make such a service available to all of their employees. An employee distracted by this kind of problem cannot concentrate on work or maintain a healthy attitude for as long as they are dealing with an identity theft episode.

Red Flags Rule Enforcement Deadline Extended

The Federal Trade Commission has again extended the enforcement deadline for the Red Flags Rule, according to an agency press release. Creditors and financial institutions now have until November 1, 2009 to come into compliance with the rule, which was mandated by the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003. Meanwhile, the commission will redouble efforts to educate businesses affected by the rule on what they must do to comply. The Red Flags Rule requires entities to implement programs for identifying, detecting and responding to harbingers of identity theft, or "red flags."
Go to www.ftc.gov/redflagsrule for more information regarding your business.