Eye on the Market

President George Bush’s Identity Theft Task Force has adopted interim recommendations on measures that can be implemented to help address the problem of ID theft.

Among the Task Force’s recommendations are that a Task Force memorandum be issued by the Office of Management and Budget to all federal agencies that outlines the factors that should govern whether and how to notify affected individuals in the event of a government agency data breach and the factors to consider in deciding whether to offer free credit monitoring and other services.

The Task Force also recommends the development of a "universal police report" for ID theft victims that can be completed online, printed and taken to a local law enforcement agency for verification and incorporation into the police department’s report system.

The Task Force also recommends that Congress amend the criminal restitution statutes 18 U.S.C. 3663(b) and 3663A(b) to require that defendants pay ID theft victims for the value of their time spent attempting to rectify the damage done by the theft.

Additionally, the Task Force recommends that the use of Social Security numbers be limited, restricted or concealed in agency business processes, systems and paper and electronic forms; that alternative methods of "authenticating" IDs, such as biometrics, should be developed; that data security in the government should be improved through interagency efforts; and that agencies share information about individuals who might be affected with other agencies and organizations that could assist in responding to the security breach.

As the capabilities of cell phones continue to grow, the need to protect personal information they contain becomes more important. That’s why ReCellular Inc., Dexter, Mich., now offers consumers information on erasing personal data stored on their cell phones.

The Cell Phone Data Eraser tool is available at www.WirelessRecycling.com or www.ReCellular.com.

According to ReCellular, The Cell Phone Data Eraser tool is continuously updated and offers more than 480 user manuals from 20 cell phone manufacturers with information on how to safely and securely erase personal information, such as sensitive corporate information, e-mail, passwords, pictures and text messages, from a cell phone.

The non-profit Identity Theft Resource Center, San Diego, and Fellowes Inc., a shredder manufacturer based in Itasca, Ill., have introduced a new Web site at www.idconfidence.org that is designed to educate consumers of the threat of identity theft.

The primary feature of the new site is a quiz that assesses users’ day-to-day habits that could be increasing their vulnerability to identity theft. After taking the quiz, users receive a vulnerability score and personalized protection tips based on their responses. For each answer given, respondents receive an explanation of why they’re vulnerable and a tailored suggestion on how to change their habits. Additionally, users can see how their vulnerability scores match up against the national average.

The site offers tips for protecting against ID theft, such as checking credit reports annually, removing cards containing Social Security information from one‘s wallet and shredding sensitive documents with a confetti-cut shredder. In addition, users can get advice on to keep and to shred, including how long to keep certain documents. The site also includes common myths about ID theft.