Experts Available to Discuss Customer Data Breaches, Privacy.

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TOPIC: The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), Britain's data watchdog, found numerous security breaches by major banks and retailers regarding customer data, according to The Associated Press. The ICO claimed 12 banks disposed of customers' personal information in unsecured bins located off their premises. According to its 2006-07 annual report, the ICO received approximately 24,000 inquiries and complaints regarding personal information issues.

EXPERTS: ExpertSource can offer several highly qualified experts to comment on this story:

David Friedland, in-house data security expert at IRI (aka CoSort - www.cosort.com) can talk about the newest technologies that can ENCRYPT and PROTECT data at the FIELD-LEVEL instead of blanket encryption that renders most data files useless within an organization. FYI - this is NOT "plain 'ole encryption" - this is selective field-level encryption. Most companies hate encrypting data because it then makes their databases un-shareable basically, un-useable. So they leave data UNPROTECTED. The crazy part is that our new solution is totally AFFORDABLE, and EASY TO IMPLEMENT.

Multiple white papers available on data security topics such as: Mitigating Data Risk: An Introduction to Privacy Breach Prevention; 5 Tips for Protecting Sensitive Data Excerpt; Consider the Risks: Personally identifiable information is data at risk from hacking, theft, incorrect transmission or modification, laptop loss, outsource misuse, etc. The main reason for the risk is the large illicit business of identity theft. According to the Federal Trade Commission, there were 246,036 identify theft victims in 2006. Thieves misuse people's information to perpetrate credit card, phone, bank, employment, loan, and government benefit fraud. For victims of identify theft, the processes of discovery, reporting, and restoration can be traumatic, expensive, and time-consuming. PR Contact: Jason Kirshner, 949-429-1172, [e-mail]

Steven Domenikos is a market visionary and an experienced operating executive that built and sold several communications software companies over the last 15 years. He is currently the founder and CEO of IdentityTruth, a VC-funded company with a mission to deliver effective identity monitoring solutions to consumers. With today's advanced technology, identity theft has become a greater problem than most people perceive it to be. With more readily available and accessible information online, identity theft is attainable with less effort. It's important to understand that several elements are linked to identity including: Social Security Number, Government Identification - Drivers License, Passport, Credit History / Financial Transactions, Academic Credentials / History, Physical, Residence, Voting History, Professional Organizations, Credentials and Group Affiliations. Through selective distribution of personal information, increased checking of credit history and tracking of financial information and shredding documents that are discarded, new ID theft is going down. However, even if consumers find the time to take all of these steps, there is still a possibility that they can become a victim of identity theft. Records containing personal data, such as credit card receipts or car-rental agreements, for example -- may be found by or shared with someone who decides to use this data for fraudulent purposes. There is a lot of confusion about ID theft protection services. The market is crowded and there are a lot of companies selling services that all sound the same. One of the unique aspects of this service is that under the free beta program, IdentityTruth does not require the subscribers to divulge any confidential information (social security #, drivers license #, account info, etc.) to get their identity score. IdentityTruth combines in real-time detected suspicious activities, fraud schemes, credit requests, related data breaches, and the individual's specific profile to offer a more complete picture of a consumer's identity risk. It reports suspicious events in the past, predicts possible frauds that could impact the individual in the future, delivers on-going alerts about any changes to the individual's credit and identity profiles, and reports on any related regionalized data breach that could have impacted the individuals identity. PR Contact: Laura Ackerman, 508-366-2099 x 125, [e-mail]

A Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist, Todd Davis has been featured in over 300 news stories, including the national outlets The Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine, MSNBC, CNN, CNBC, Wired and ABC News Now, just to name a few. As the CEO of the nation's first and only identity theft prevention company, he travels across the country sharing the horror stories of the crime and how prevention is the only true form of protection. PR Contact: Jodi Burack, 914-798-7132, [e-mail]

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