Help Identity Theft

A young Pennsylvania couple has been charged with using a combination of old-fashioned and high-tech burglary techniques to help fuel a globe-hopping, luxury lifestyle.

Edward Anderton, 25, and Jocelyn Kirsch, 22, were arrested last Friday on suspicion of identity theft, forgery, and unlawful use of a computer. They voluntarily returned to Philadelphia police headquarters to answer to additional charges, including theft and burglary.

A Pennsylvania judge doubled Anderton's bail to $100,000 and Kirsch's to $75,000 after prosecutors pointed out that the couple has been evicted from the upscale apartment where they had been living and now have no fixed address.

The couple spent last night in jail, but are expected to post bail Thursday.

Something Old, Something New

The primary victims of the crime spree were the neighbors of the alleged perpetrators at the Belgravia, located in Rittenhouse Square not far from Philadelphia's City Hall.

DataPlay Takes Leadership Role in TCG's New Optical Storage Subgroup

LONGMONT, Colo., Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- DPHI, Inc. / DataPlay, a leader in advanced optical storage solutions, announced today its leadership of the Optical Storage Subgroup (OSS) within Trusted Computing Group's Storage Work Group (SWG). In this role, DataPlay will help set the design for the world's first optical burner to support Trusted Computing Group's storage specification.

"We are pleased to contribute to the Trusted Computing Group and its Storage Work Group. There is a large market opportunity for a 'trusted optical drive,' which will serve as a remedy for data loss and identity theft. In a 2006 study conducted by Ponemon Institute LLC, 81% of companies it surveyed had lost one or more laptop computers containing sensitive information. A related study by the same group found 74% of organizations that experienced a data breach lost customers.

Ahwatukee Foothills hosts forum on crime

A meeting meant to help residents learn about crime and fraud prevention turned into a tough questions-and-answers session for Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard and other Phoenix officials Monday night in Ahwatukee Foothills. About 100 residents came to the meeting at the Desert Vista High School cafeteria armed with tough questions for Goddard, who was joined on a panel by Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris and Phoenix City Councilman Greg Stanton. Goddard opened the meeting saying he wanted special emphasis to be put on prevention of crime and fraud, and discussed topics such as identity theft and consumer fraud. Harris and Stanton also addressed the group briefly, discussing topics such as methamphetamine abuse, gang activity and the future of the police presence in Ahwatukee Foothills.

Considering the amount private info that goes into a mailbox, keep it ...

| Stand-alone mailboxes are like treasure chests. They can hold missives from family, bills, junk mail, birthday cards -- but more importantly, correspondence with personal information.

Mailboxes need security measures, such as locks and keys, to keep prying people from seeing or stealing private letters. They also can help minimize vandalism.

''It's a big issue -- mail theft,'' says Bruce Franklin, who owns All Valley Masonry in Fresno, Calif., and has built custom mailboxes for the last 12 years. ''It's not about [stealing] a check anymore. It's about identity theft.''

Fired CTA worker indicted in theft of riders' credit information

A former Chicago Transit Authority worker accused of stealing riders' credit card numbers used them at local department stores, according to an indictment issued Thursday.

Miranda Smith, 22, of Chicago was arrested last month and was indicted on one count of aggravated identity theft, 12 counts of identity theft and eight counts of official misconduct.

While helping customers replenish CTA fare cards, Smith allegedly used printouts to steal information, including credit card numbers. Prosecutors said she used the numbers to buy items at stores and passed them to two Chicago men, one identified as her boyfriend, who used the numbers to make $2,200 in purchases at Nordstrom and $1,300 at Macy's.

CNRSW FFSC gives support for identity theft victims

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimates that as many as nine million Americans have their identities stolen each year. Some identity theft victims repair their problems quickly, while others may take years and hundreds of dollars to repair their good name and credit record.

The CNRSW Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) offers an identity theft brief year-round to help service members and their families combat id theft. "Families must be constantly vigilant," said Deborah Johnston, FFSC, financial educator.

There are several ways to prevent id theft. Don't give out personal information over the phone, through the mail or over the internet unless you are sure who you are dealing with. Johnston feels that giving out personal information freely is where a lot of people get in trouble.

Ideas in Motion: Anthony Munns Assesses Risk and Rewards

It's a pressure-packed meeting and the business executives are worried. With the daily newspapers and talk shows full of news on yet another security breach and identity theft incident, the higher-ups are trying to figure out how to protect their data and systems. More importantly, they want to ensure their technology and supporting information provides the necessary and much-needed peace of mind they must have for their customers and themselves.

As the group surmises its present processes won't get the job done, they realize they need help. That's where Anthony J. Munns, CISA, CIRM, CPIM, comes in.

Munns is head of the Risk Management Services practice for Brown Smith Wallace, LLC in St. Louis, Mo., where he performs IT audit, security, HIPAA implementation services and technology attest reviews, including SAS 70 reviews.

Who’s Watching You?

Rochester, N.Y.) - New charges could be filed later this week against a man who set up hidden cameras in the women's restroom where he worked in Newark.Jeffrey Kriner was arrested after his landlord discovered boxes of video tapes in the basement.Surveillance Devices In the hands of investigators, small surveillance devices help catch drug dealers, thieves, and vandals. These tiny cameras are easily available to anyone on the Internet. The tiny camera, smaller than a quarter, is linked to a wireless transmitter. The lens opening is the size of a pencil point. A private investigator “John" said, “You could hide it behind just about anything."We conceal John's real identity because he's working undercover. He said 99 of mini-cams are used for theft prevention."Trying to watch the nanny or cleaning lady. No one comes and says they're going to hook up a camera in a shower," he said.There is also a device you can use to find a mini cam.