Industry News
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| | Identify risks associated with identity theft
Identify risks associated with identity theft
By Henry B. Chace
TechnoLAWgically Speaking discusses how advances in office technology can best be used in the management of a law practice.
Identity theft is the fastest-growing crime in the United States, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting that 9.9 million people were victimized last year.
The most common information identity thieves are seeking are names and addresses, date of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, mother’s maiden name, account numbers, passwords and security codes. Even a few of these in combination can allow a thief to obtain a credit card, open a bank account and conduct transactions as you, an employee or a client.
Take a moment to look around your office. Are personal and personnel information and client information in electronic format, and, if so, is it secured with passwords and/or encryption?
Are there files or documents available that may reveal personal or sensitive corporate information that could be used by someone who could potentially embarrass or threaten your firm or practice?
Do you shred old CDs and diskettes that may contain sensitive information? If you use a service to do this, are you sure the service you are using is safe and actually shreds the stuff?
Do temporary employees have access to information on your computer? Do you make sure to log out and shut down your computers after hours when cleaning crews and security personnel may have access your office?
Is computer access in your office regulated with passwords and sensitive electronic data kept in places where only authorized employees have access?
As a precautionary measure, you may want to create strong passwords for each of your computer accounts and any online systems you are using. Mark your calendar to remind yourself to change the passwords on a regular basis. Do not use the same password for everything. It may be confusing to have to remember several passwords, but that is how you can best keep your information secure. Use screen-saver passwords so that if you leave your computer, it will lock and require a password for access. Shut down the computer completely when you leave the office.
If you travel with a laptop or PDA, make sure they are password-protected with a timed lock out setting, so they will require a password for access after so many minutes. Do not store financial information on your laptop if you plan to travel with it. When you dispose of an old machine, remove the hard drive and smash it.
Gaining access to the Internet is another risk entirely. Your virus, spyware and adware programs must be kept up-to-date. You must have a firewall program that protects your computer when you are connected to the Internet.
Never share personal information online unless you are sure the connection is secure. You can check to see if a site is secure if the first part of the web address in the browser changes from http:// to https:// (s for secure). Never give out passwords or user ID information online. Be sure to keep records of all Internet transactions.
Generally, trust no one online. My favorite New Yorker cartoon shows a dog at a computer who says to another dog: On the Internet, no one knows you’re a dog.
Henry B. Chace is chief information officer at the firm of Burns & Levinson in Boston. | |
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