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Stealing Social Security Numbers on the Web
Madison, WI
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Joe Campana, Ph.D.
Video Clip: Click to Watch
Your Social Security Number and birth date may be available to anyone on the web or by viewing records in the local city or county clerk's office. Identity thieves can use the information for financial fraud, to commit crimes in your name, to gain employment illegally, to get medical treatment under your name or for many other types of identity fraud.
In recognition of National Privacy Day, January 28, 2009, J. Campana & Associates has released an educational video http://www.PrivacyDiary.com) to illustrate how simple it can be to access sensitive personal information through Web sites operated by the public sector--counties, cities, towns, villages and schools.
Dr. Joe Campana said, "I produced this video to give people an real example of how information can be accessed through government and other Web sites. When I talk to people about how common it is to get Social Security Numbers off the web, I get the sense that they think doing so is a complicated cyber crime. I wanted to provide a simple example that anyone can understand and even visit the website for themselves"
Campana said, "I checked the Web site yesterday, and the government official is still allowing taxpayer and constituent Social Security Numbers to be viewed, despite community and media outrage. Anyone can check it out for them self. Seeing is believing"
Dr. Campana suggests that anyone who visits the website should take a moment to email the official in charge to express their outrage and recommend immediate removal of the sensitive information. That would be a great personal contribution to National Privacy Week.
Identity theft has been estimated to a strike 10 million or more Americans each year. Some local governments including schools seem to have little concern about protecting the information that taxpayers and constituents entrust to them. Some claim they do not have funds to remove the information while others just don't seem to care according to Campana.
Identity theft can take years for consumers to resolve and cost them thousands of dollars. Campana says, "Taxpayers should also be concerned whether their local government or schools purposely or unintentionally allows their personally identifiable information to be accessed through paper records or on the Web"
Joe Campana said, "I hope that by watching this short educational demonstration and commentary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceCarwYKliQ) taxpayers will be motivated to police their local government websites and take appropriate action to stop sensitive information such as Social Security Numbers from being accessible to anyone"
J. Campana & Associates llc http://www.JCampana.com) works nationwide to provide identity theft, privacy and information security solutions and education programs to small enterprises such as businesses, local government, schools, and not-for-profit organizations. Joe Campana is the author of the book, Privacy MakeOver: The Essential Guide to Best Practices http://www.PrivacyMakeOver.com).
In recognition of National Privacy Day, January 28, 2009, J. Campana & Associates has released an educational video http://www.PrivacyDiary.com) to illustrate how simple it can be to access sensitive personal information through Web sites operated by the public sector--counties, cities, towns, villages and schools.
Dr. Joe Campana said, "I produced this video to give people an real example of how information can be accessed through government and other Web sites. When I talk to people about how common it is to get Social Security Numbers off the web, I get the sense that they think doing so is a complicated cyber crime. I wanted to provide a simple example that anyone can understand and even visit the website for themselves"
Campana said, "I checked the Web site yesterday, and the government official is still allowing taxpayer and constituent Social Security Numbers to be viewed, despite community and media outrage. Anyone can check it out for them self. Seeing is believing"
Dr. Campana suggests that anyone who visits the website should take a moment to email the official in charge to express their outrage and recommend immediate removal of the sensitive information. That would be a great personal contribution to National Privacy Week.
Identity theft has been estimated to a strike 10 million or more Americans each year. Some local governments including schools seem to have little concern about protecting the information that taxpayers and constituents entrust to them. Some claim they do not have funds to remove the information while others just don't seem to care according to Campana.
Identity theft can take years for consumers to resolve and cost them thousands of dollars. Campana says, "Taxpayers should also be concerned whether their local government or schools purposely or unintentionally allows their personally identifiable information to be accessed through paper records or on the Web"
Joe Campana said, "I hope that by watching this short educational demonstration and commentary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceCarwYKliQ) taxpayers will be motivated to police their local government websites and take appropriate action to stop sensitive information such as Social Security Numbers from being accessible to anyone"
J. Campana & Associates llc http://www.JCampana.com) works nationwide to provide identity theft, privacy and information security solutions and education programs to small enterprises such as businesses, local government, schools, and not-for-profit organizations. Joe Campana is the author of the book, Privacy MakeOver: The Essential Guide to Best Practices http://www.PrivacyMakeOver.com).
Joe Campana
Principal
J. Campana and Associates LLC
Madison, WI
608-241-3500
First Url: The Privacy Diary Blog
Second Url: J. Campana & Associates
