Slashdot Mirror
600,000 More Social Security Numbers Compromised
DoubleWhopper writes "This time it's Time Warner Inc. According to this CNN article, an 'outside storage company' is to blame for the latest significant loss of personal information. From the article: '...the tapes contained names and Social Security information on current and former Time Warner employees and some of their dependents and beneficiaries dating back to 1986.' Fortunately, the tapes are said to have no customer information, at least."
Honestly, I'd like to see all of the victims of ID theft get together and start filing class-actions against the companies that allow this sort of thing to happen. Maybe if we start hitting them in the pocketbook, these companies will start taking data security seriously.
psmylie's dictionary: Godzillion (noun) Any number large enough to destroy Tokyo
Hell, I consider my social security number compromised every time I'm forced to give it to a $8/hr customer service person over the phone to get my Cable, Internet, Telephone, Gas, Electricity services, rent a car, get a loan, get a bank account, apply for a job.
Even when it's acceptable to request a social security number (an employer), you aren't promised that someone in the chain won't take your information for their own use. *shrug*
As long as companies in-source and provide the jobs for minimum-wage Americans, shit like this will happen.
They need to out-source of all this to happy Indians who will bust their asses for $100 a month to ensure the data security is at the expert level.
Minimum-wage Americans are always on the lookout for some scheme they can pull off, and companies who engage in in-sourcing and such hiring practices as having US offices will realize their mistakes very soon.
don't use Iron Mountain
.asp?
besides, would you really trust critical stuff to someone who uses
I have seen first hand how credit card companies use contractors/consulting firms to deal with your data. I don't know if anyone's surprised, but up till the year 2002 some of the BIGGEST credit card companies still struggle to backup their data nightly. It's horrifying the number of hands the data go thru. If we are that paranoid, we should just all use cash.
asp isn't as bad as it seems if done right "if done right" - Applies to all languages
'...if only "Jumping to a Conclusion" was an event in the Olympics.'
While companies say they will cover the costs of what happens to your identity, what if it doesn't happen right away? What if its 5 or 6 years from now? What is your recorse? How do you prove after that much time has passed that your identity was compromised by a particular company? Hell, in that much time, I would probably forget any of this happened.
1;
Wanna know why there's so few comments on this so far? All the /.ers are busy either closing their accounts or working to open new ones with "their" SSNs.
My other Sig is
Honestly, I'd like to see all of the victims of ID theft get together and start filing class-actions against the companies that allow this sort of thing to happen. Maybe if we start hitting them in the pocketbook, these companies will start taking data security seriously.
Where do I sign up. If we compared notes, we might come up with more actions than the one.
Are very flawed forms of identification. With them you can find the associated name, birth date, bank accounts, loans, credit cards, properties, etc. They are extremely exploitable and yet the security that surrounds them is minimal. What a lot of people may not know is you ARE NOT required to give your social security number to utilities, banks, creditors, etc. Sure, it helps your standing with them and they can probably find them on their own, but I personally think with the amount of abuse of this central identification number there needs to be a new, more secure system with safe guards to prevent this sort of rampent abuse. The first step is for financial institutions to limit the customer's liability for identity theft related fraud, because they're insured by the FDIC. After that, perhaps a biometric or RFID identification system could eventually be implemented. I know it sounds very big brotherish, but the current system is horrible.
shop.envescent.com - Computer hardware and more.
Man I just can't catch a break... first SAIC has my information stolen earlier this year and now this. I'm screwed. :)
To reduce the identity theft immensely, one or more of the following MUST be legislated:
1. Replace the SSN with SecureID card with challenge keypad (none of those biometric foo-foo crap, bio is non-revokable)
2. Make data aggregation illegal (ooooh, sorry credit bureaus)
3. Make IRS the focal point of multi-keyed 2nd-generation SSN registration centre (sorry SSA, you screwed up, big-time!)
4. Customer "optionally" generate a NEW SSN for each business or financial institutions. (remember, data aggregation should be illegal)
5. Credit Bureau would function just fine (just a bit laggard with aggregation effort).
Once imposed, identity theft would (I guarantee this) be reduced to insignificant amount.
UNTIL THEN, nothing is currently being done to reduce the water flow from the Dutch Boy's leaking dikes.
It doesn't take much brain to resolve this crisis, just time and money. The Congress has absolutely no clue on how to fix this mess... Write your congressman today with these suggestions.
"who uses .asp?"
Yes, that's a great reason to rule them out.
Provide some REAL information about why I shouldn't use them. Thanks.