Identity Theft Awareness

Identity theft awareness is the starting point for managing identity theft because risk mitigation starts with risk education and awareness. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of identity theft risks due to the frequency and consequences of the crime as well as the marketing efforts of some companies to educate consumers about their available solutions. Organizations are also increasingly incorporating identity theft education into their overall awareness programs to inform their employees, clients and vendors about the required identity theft management policies that must be in place and are expected to be followed in order to prevent data breach incidents, protect private data, and prevent identity theft fraud.

About identity-theft-awareness.com

This website was launched in 2006 to educate its visitors about identity theft risks and solutions. Whether you are a consumer, employee, or an employer concerned with any aspect of identity theft, you will greatly benefit from the information presented in various sections of this website.

Over the years, this identity theft awareness website has become a leading identity theft blog which hosts hundreds of quality and original articles written by certified experts at Identity Management Institute. These free articles are accessed by thousands of monthly site visitors via search engines, referral sites, and Identity Management Journal which periodically distributes new articles. Some of these articles have been translated into other languages, published on other websites, and incorporated into educational and training programs.

The Identity Theft Protection Industry

Contrary to all beliefs, information security and data protection are not old professions. Privacy, identity theft protection, and Internet security are even in their infancy stage. The identity theft crime continues to affect millions of victims each year and is listed as the number one crime in the United States. Governments and companies are still struggling to find the most effective and efficient ways to address identity theft as new and improved identity theft regulations continue to be introduced to protect consumers, businesses, and nations.

The Cause

Identity obesity which is the result of people and companies collecting, sharing and retaining excessive and often unnecessary amount of personal information has been identified as the leading cause of identity theft. The risk of identity theft rises even higher when identity obese people and businesses lack the basic knowledge of information protection measures to protect the personal information of their clients, employees, employers, business partners and loved ones.

When you carefully take a look around, you notice that national identification numbers such as Social Security Numbers assigned to the citizens of the United States which act as primary identifiers for a variety of transactions, are mis-managed because those who are tasked with managing them lack an adequate identity theft awareness mindset and basic knowledge of security measures. These primary identifiers along with other personal identity components are mistreated in public places like the doctors' offices and on the the Internet as if they are pieces of worthless junks. Often, employees who handle these precious identifiers lack proper identity theft awareness and training to properly handle our private information. Businesses ask for our social security numbers, names, phone numbers, addresses, zip codes, and other pieces of information excessively or in public places and expect us to respond back to the excessive information request while surrounded by other people. Interestingly enough, zip codes are used to validate our identity and ownership of the credit card we use at the gas pump which is just another risk considering how widely zip codes are available. Do we really believe that identity theft can be minimized while we continue to treat and handle our personal and most valuable information in such reckless manners? One of the information security principles is that, all information are not equal. As a society, we need to determine which personal identity component requires which level of protection, and apply the appropriate security measures to protect them. For example, if we rely on social security numbers as the main source of identification, then we must treat it differently than our personal phone numbers or emails which are commonly shared with others.

The Solution

To minimize the risk of identity theft and address its root cause which we have identified to be identity obesity, we need to apply best practices in our daily habits when managing our personal information and take advantage of automated and integrated market solutions in order to prevent identity theft and detect identity fraud as much as possible. The Identity Diet program which introduces eight (8) identity protection principles referred to as Identity KOAS framework, addresses identity obesity and offers solutions to resolve the identity theft root cause. The framework is also embedded into the Certified Identity Protection Advisor (CIPA)® program to train and certify identity theft management professionals.

Identity theft management starts with identity theft awareness and Identity Diet offers a self discovery assessment to make us understand how we become identity obese, what’s at stake, what needs to be protected and why. The program also teaches us how we can protect our personal information to prevent, detect and resolve identity theft. We need to take responsibility in case no one else does. We need to educate our employees, clients, vendors, family members and friends about the risks of identity theft. We must inquire about and monitor the security practices of those companies with which we share our personal information. Businesses are forced to share their privacy policies with consumers who must read them carefully and avoid doing business with those who do not make them comfortable with the way they intend to use, protect and share their entrusted information.

This identity theft awareness and education website makes available hundreds of free and original identity theft management articles to thousands of global readers each month through Internet search results, automated feeds, monthly newsletters, identity theft blog, and referrals.

This website supports the goals and efforts of Identity Management Institute with identity theft awareness and education.

Identity Management Institute (IMI) is an international organization established in 2008 to redefine, guide and promote the identity management field through standards, guidelines and training. IMI is comprised of global members who seek training, professional certification, and collaboration in the growing field of identity management and protection. Identity and Access Management or IAM is the fastest growing discipline of information security which aims to manage individual identity and access to information assets. The identity management field which has generally been defined as a set of standards, policies, and technologies to manage enterprise identities within systems is increasingly affected by expanding regulatory and industry standards and risks residing outside of information systems. Such risks include identity theft, enterprise obesity, and unauthorized access to private information. IMI was founded to help redefine "identity management" and help the industry address all related risks with thought leadership, training, and professional certification.

IMI has developed tools to support professionals manage identity risks and facilitate global collaboration for a cohesive management of risks including regulatory compliance. IMI has also established services to educate, assess, and certify professionals, as well as review compliance programs and industry services.

IMI is also the leading organization supporting the US government's Red Flags Rule regulation and efforts for preventing identity theft at high risk financial institutions and creditors. IMI offers various programs and services to help affected companies deal with the changing identity risk and regulatory environments.

Click below to see the list of certifications offered by Identity Management Institute:

Professional Resources

There are many ways you can connect with others, share your knowledge, and learn from others. Our discussion group is the largest identity theft discussion forum online where thousands of global experts have come together to share their knowledge. Join the forum and help improve the identity protection industry. You may also visit our identity theft blog, sign up for the monthly Identity Management Journal to receive the latest articles and announcements, or follow us on Twitter, and, Google+.

Browse the various sections of this identity theft awareness website for your specific needs and if you need further information, please contact us.

Thank you for visiting us and be identity safe.