Library Home: Cyber Security: Identity Theft

Avoiding Identity Theft

Avoiding Identity Theft (consumer.gov)
TOOL: Check for data breach: ';--have i been pwned? (haveibeenpwned.com)
TOOL: How secure is my password? (nordpass.com) At least 12 characters (even better if 13+) Lowercase Uppercase Symbols (?#@…) Numbers

WHO & HOW of Identity Theft / Impersonation

WHO: 7 TYPES OF CYBER THREAT ACTORS AND THEIR DAMAGE (redlegg.com)
Cyber Terrorists
Govt.-Sponsored/State-Sponsored Actors
Organized Crime/Cybercriminals
Hacktivists
Insiders
Script Kiddies
Internal User Errors
more...less...
MOTIVATIONS
Political, Economic, Technical, and Military Agendas
Profits/Financial Gain
Notoriety
Revenge
Overlap of Motivations
HOW: Social Engineering / Tricking People (knowbe4.com)

Pretexting: A false motive based on what they know about you.
Phishing: Trick you into giving passwords or sending money.
Water-Holing: test popular websites for vulnerabilities and use them to infect frequent visitors
Quid Pro Quo: Trick you into installing malware to "fix" or "improve" your system.
Honeytrap: Like Catfishing: False identity to lure people into trap.
Diversion Theft: Trick the company into making the delivery somewhere other than the intended location.
Spear Phishing: A small, focused, targeted attack via email on a particular person or organization

Baiting: Invitations to click to get "prize" but surprise, it's malware.
Tailgating: Getting past security by closely following authorized person before door of opportunity shuts.
Rogue/scareware: Deceives or misleads users into paying for the fake or simulated removal of malware.

Prevent Identity Theft

Easy ways id thieves/imposter can get your info

Personal information you share on the internet
Someone checks your trash and finds personal information

What they might do:

Fill out pre-approved credit offers
Claim tax refund or other benefits in your name
Open a phone or wireless service in your name

Prevention is easier than fixing

Don't share private info (especially passwords!)

Use strong passwords (security.harvard.edu)

Shred sensitive docs

Check credit card and bank statements

When Information Is Lost or Exposed (identitytheft.gov)
Identity Theft (usa.gov)
On This Page
- Identity Theft
- Prevent Identity Theft
- Report Identity Theft

Report Identity Theft

Recovering from Identity Theft

EQUIFAX: Identity Theft Prevention Tips

Important Update: 2017 Cybersecurity Incident Settlement Reached Identity Theft Prevention Tips (equifaxsecurity2017.com)

We recommend that you remain vigilant for incidents of fraud and identity theft by reviewing account statements and monitoring your credit reports. You may obtain a free copy of your credit report from each company listed below once every 12 months by requesting your report online at www.annualcreditreport.com, calling toll-free 1-877-322-8228, or mailing an Annual Credit Report Request Form (available at www.annualcreditreport.com) to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA, 30348-5281. You may also purchase a copy of your credit report by contacting any of the credit reporting agencies below:

Equifax | PO Box 740241 | Atlanta, GA 30374 | www.equifax.com | 888-766-0008

Experian | PO Box 9554 | Allen, TX 75013 | www.experian.com | 888-397-3742

TransUnion | PO Box 2000 | Chester, PA 19016 | www.transunion.com | 800-680-7289

If you believe you are the victim of identity theft, you should contact the proper law enforcement authorities, including local law enforcement, and you should consider contacting your state attorney general and/or the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”). You also may contact the FTC to obtain additional information about avoiding identity theft.

Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Response Center
600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338)
www.ftc.gov/idtheft

State Attorneys General: Information on how to contact your state attorney general may be found at www.naag.org/naag/attorneys-general/whos-my-ag.php.

You may obtain information from the FTC and the credit reporting agencies listed above about placing a fraud alert and/or credit freeze on your credit report. Please also visit the “State Information” tab of this site.