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We continue with our series discussing the Identity KAOS principles which are the building blocks of the Identity Diet program and how to create a customized identity protection plan based on your awareness of the identity theft risks and best identity protection practices. In this issue of the Identity Management Journal, we are going to talk about the importance of continuous assessment of your personal information inventory list and the way you manage your exploitable personal information which can lead to identity theft. In previous issues, we spoke about the first two principles which had to do with identifying, locating and documenting our personal exploitable information. I keep mentioning the word “exploitable” because not all personal information are equal in terms of their misuse for identity theft purposes. Now, it’s time to talk about analyzing the information we possess and how we use them. As I have mentioned before, proper protection of our physical identity components can reduce the risk of identity theft by about %50, and that’s even without signing up for any addition services such as identity and credit monitoring. Therefore, most of the control is in your hands to prevent and detect identity theft. However, most people overlook this very important point and unknowingly dismiss the possibility of cutting identity theft risks in half by just taking a look at the way they collect, share and manage their information. Individuals should review their personal information inventory and determine in which area they might have some identity fat and decide to eliminate the fat at once. Eliminating identity fat is one of the most efficient ways to reduce identity theft risks which the Identity Diet program addresses. For example, you might decide you have too many credit cards, or too many online accounts, or too many expired passports. Go through your inventory and eliminate as many identity components as you can without making a drastic interruption to your lifestyle. Once your identity fat level is reduced to a reasonable level, you have to take a look at how you manage the information. Think about how use your retained credit cards or how often you change your passwords. Do you use your credit cards for small purchases which you can pay for with cash? Do you remember when you last changed your online banking password? These are some assessments that you have to make in order to make additional changes in the way you manage your information and reduce your identity theft risks even more. Like I said, most of the identity protection control in is your own hands and not somewhere out there. Although, most people run to the Internet and purchase a monitoring service thinking it will solve their identity theft problems. The truth is your own education and actions alone can reduce your identity theft risks by more than fifty percent. Go to the Identity Diet website and take the short test to learn about your risks and see how the online course can help you with a comprehensive online assessment, education and support. I will be talking about the other 4 Identity KAOS principles in future issues which you can also learn about in detail by purchasing the Identity Diet book. Identity Protection Articles Consumer Articles Fraud Schemes - In order to combat identity theft, we have to also understand how fraud occurs and thus identify fraud schemes. This article discusses some of the identity theft techniques used by fraudsters. Exploitable Identity Component - We must identify our most exploitable identity component and then discriminately apply more stringent security practices to our most vulnerable personal information. Business Articles Information Security Shortfalls - Companies often face varying degrees of information security shortfalls which might be voluntary and with serious long term consequences for themselves, their industries and society. Electronic Health Record - Patient health information is converting to electronic health record and to expedite the transition, the US government is offering a unique cash incentive program to eligible program participants. Visit the blog page and other sections of the website for additional articles. Announcements Identity Diet is now online with comprehensive self assessment, education, and support services which will help interested individuals identify and understand their identity theft risks, learn about best identity protection practices which they can apply daily, and create an Identity Diet plan to protect their identities with their own actions as well as some automated services. Visit Identity Diet .com Resources If you are interested in helping consumers protect their identities against theft and fraud, visit the Identity Management Institute and learn about the Certified Identity Protection Advisor (CIPA) designation.
Until next time, be identity safe, |