Security Data Breach: Advance Auto Parts - 50,000+ Customer Records Jeopardized

According to news sources, credit and debit card information from 56,000 customers of Advance Auto Parts was jeopardized in a data breach announced on March 31, 2008. The breach included stores across the United States, from Mississippi to New York.

Advance Auto Parts is offering credit monitoring for one year to impacted customers. IdentityTruth is reaching out to Advance customers to provide them the option of more complete coverage at a special, discounted rate, since credit monitoring alone does not prevent identity theft. IdentityTruth’s technology helps to predict possible fraud and delivers ongoing alerts about any changes to the individual’s credit and identity profile. This can help to prevent other types of fraud such as the theft of social security numbers, or the creation of new utility accounts—activities which would not be detected by simple credit monitoring. The creation of new utility accounts is often the first step taken by identity thieves as they seek to use the stolen identity to commit other fraud.

If you believe that your information was stolen during the Advance Auto Parts security breach, you need to take action now to prevent identity theft. Whether the breach occurred last week or last year, your personal information may be in criminal hands and can be used at any time for identity theft. Simple credit monitoring only reports criminal activity after damage to your credit has been done. Only complete, proactive identity monitoring ensures that your identity, assets, and credit are protected.

IdentityTruth understands that your identity is your life and is committed to offering the most complete identity theft prevention services possible. Visit IdentityTruth.com to see if your identity has been compromised.

Don't Become a Victim of Identity Theft - Take Action Today!

Security Breach: Nearly 50,000 Patient Records Compromised

According to news sources, patient information from nearly 50,000 patients of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center was jeopardized in a data security breach announced on April 11, 2008. The breach included names, phone numbers, addresses and social security numbers. The Wall Street Journal reported on its health care blog that postal officials searching an identity theft ring in Atlanta have identified 221 documents which came from the hospital.

According to a spokesperson hospital officials are in the process of contacting thousands of patients and New York Presbyterian is offering affected patients credit monitoring services. IdentityTruth is reaching out to hospital patients to provide them the option of comprehensive identity theft prevention coverage at a discounted rate, since credit monitoring alone does not prevent identity theft. IdentityTruth’s technology helps to predict possible fraud and delivers ongoing alerts about any changes to the individual’s credit and identity profile. IdentityTruth’s comprehensive service is especially important to protect consumers in cases such as this, where social security numbers were compromised.

Data Breaches a Growing Problem for Consumers

The New York Presbyterian Hospital breach is part of a growing wave of data breaches which are putting consumers at risk for identity theft. In the case of the Presbyterian Hospital case news reports are highlighting a possible link to an organized identity theft ring. Incidents such as these highlight a disturbing truth for consumers: even if you are careful, you are not safe since businesses, health care organizations and government agencies which hold your sensitive data are increasingly at risk of data breaches.

IdentityTruth invites consumers to learn more by viewing the identity theft timeline—which shows that identity theft starts long before something shows up on your credit report.

Data Breach: Pfizer - 13,000 Employee Records Compromised

According to news sources preliminary reports indicate that in May 2008 pharmaceutical giant Pfizer suffered a data security breach involving a stolen laptop that contained 13,000 employee records. While it appears that social security numbers were not involved, names, home addresses, telephone numbers, employee ID numbers, job titles and salary information may have been compromised in this security breach.

Pfizer has reported a number of breaches over the past year, including a breach earlier this year also affecting employees. According to news sources Pfizer has sent more than 65,000 data breach notifications over the past twelve months.

If you are a Pfizer employee and suspect that your information was stolen during this or another security breach, you need to take action now to prevent identity theft. Whether the breach occurred last week or last year, your personal information is in criminal hands and could be used at any time for identity theft. Typical credit monitoring only reports theft after damage has been done. Only through proactive, preventative identity monitoring can you be sure that your identity, assets, and credit are safe.

At the IdentityTruth website, you can learn about the latest advancements in identity theft prevention and use online tools to instantly check to see if your identity has been compromised.

Don't wait – take action today and stop identity theft before damage occurs!

Data Security Breach: State Street Bank - 45,000 Records Compromised

According to news sources, a division of State Street Corporation suffered a security data breach involving 45,000 customer and employee records. The loss occurred when a laptop storing the information was stolen from a vendor hired by Investors Financial Services, which was acquired by State Street in 2007.

The data contained on the stolen laptop included names, addresses, dates of birth and, in some cases, Social Security numbers. State Street claims that there is no evidence that the stolen data has been misused and noted that this is the first case of data theft in its history.

However, this security breach does highlight vulnerabilities associated with the loss of physical equipment — which is still a risk, no matter how stringent a firm’s online security protocols.

Data Breaches a Growing Problem for Consumers

Financial services breaches are of particular concern to consumers given the sensitive nature of the information stored by these institutions. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal recently noted that the Social Security and account numbers of as many as 4.5 million customers were compromised when a vendor working for Bank of New York Mellon lost unencrypted backup storage tapes.

The loss of physical assets, as highlighted in these cases, is a reminder that consumers may be at risk for identity theft—even if they are careful with management of their own statements and documents.

Learn more about how identity theft actually happens: view the identity theft timeline. In this brief overview, you’ll learn that identity scams usually start long before something shows up on your credit card statements.

Security Data Breach: Stanford University - 72,000 Identities at Risk

In June, 2008 Stanford University reported a data security breach involving a stolen laptop containing the personal information of university employees.

The theft is believed to affect only those employees hired on, or before, September 28, 2007 but the total number of individuals affected could be as high as 72,000, given the size of the university.

Details of the crime are still under investigation, but officials suspect this was a case of property theft — that the data contained on the laptop was not the primary target. Nonetheless, the university has issued a statement to all current and past employees acknowledging the potential impact of the crime, and implications relating to identity theft.

The stolen laptop contained a wealth of information including employee's names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, and more. The scope of information compromised arms identity thieves to perpetrate credit card fraud and other identity-related crimes.

Security data breaches at educational facilities continue to pose a large threat to consumers even as security measures are beginning to increase. Other well-known institutions suffering security breaches this year include Harvard University, New York University, the University of California at San Francisco, and Oklahoma State University.

If you suspect that you are a victim of this security breach, you need to take action now to protect yourself from identity theft. Whether this breach occurred yesterday or last year, your personal information is in criminal hands and could be used at any time to steal your identity. Traditional credit monitoring only reports on theft after damage has been done. Only through proactive, preventative identity monitoring can you be sure that your identity, assets, and credit are safe.

At the IdentityTruth website, you can learn about the latest advancements in identity theft prevention and use online tools to instantly check to see if your identity has been compromised.

Don't wait - take action today and stop identity theft before damage occurs!

Identity Theft, IdentityTruth News

Launched in September 2007, IdentityTruth offers the most complete identity theft protection services available in today's market. Follow the links below to read news items covering IdentityTruth and the latest developments in identity theft prevention:

• First Look: IdentityTruth.com
  SecurityDreamer.com, 6/12/07
  
• IdentityTruth Predicts and Prevents Fraud
  PCMag.com, 4/8/08
  
• IdentityTruth.com - Your identity Your life
  KillerStartUps.com
  
• IdentityTruth and radius financial group inc. Partner to Offer Identity Theft Protection
  PR-inside.com, 7/24/08
  
• IdentityTruth and radius financial group inc. Partner to Offer Identity Theft Protection
  MarketWatch.com, 7/24/08
  
• IdentityTruth Reaches out to Millions of Consumers Impacted by the Hannaford Brothers Computer Breach
  SmartBrief, 3/18/08
  
• Fighting the battle against identity theft
  ZDNet, 2/26/08
  
• ID Theft Prevention Goes Proactive
  PC World, 6/27/07
  
• Predictive Identity Detection - The Earliest Possible Notification
  xaR International
  
• Privacy Protection
  www.firewallguide.com

Birth Certificate - Identity Theft

How Can a Thief Use a Birth Certificate to Perpetrate Identity Theft?

When was the last time you needed your birth certificate? When you first got your driver's license? When you were applying to college? When you got married? When you applied for your first passport?

It is not something most of us give much thought to, but your birth certificate is the first and most important document you will ever own. If your birth certificate is lost or stolen, the loss of that document can lead to a loss of assets, and damage to your credit and reputation. In the wrong hands, your birth certificate can be used to obtain a driver's license, cash a check, secure a loan, open credit accounts and charge them to the max, rent an apartment, buy a car, purchase a cell phone and rack up charges, or even commit a serious crime - all in your name.

If your birth certificate is lost or stolen and you do nothing to protect yourself, it could take days or even years before you are effected. Traditional reporting methods, such as fraud alerts and credit reporting, may eventually notify you of fraudulent activity, but only after the damage has been done. The only way to protect yourself from identity theft is through early detection of suspicious activity - early detection allows you to take action and stop identity theft before damage occurs.

There are many companies that claim to offer identity theft protection, but only IdentityTruth uses advanced technology to search billions of data points tracking your personal data and detecting suspicious activity. When possible fraud is detected, you are alerted and given direction on how to protect your identity and stop identity theft.

Don't let a missing birth certificate lead to a stolen identity - visit IdentityTruth.com and know that your identity is safe from theft.