Certification - May 2008 - (Page 18) CERTIFICATION Take a Bite Out of Data Theft DAVID FRIEDLAND High-profile exposure of personal records raises demand for better data security. A big problem is getting bigger. According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (PRC), more than 1 million personal records containing names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, salaries, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and other identifying details were exposed in January 2008 alone. Since January 2005, the PRC has been publishing a chronology of reported data breaches so staggering it must be seen to be believed. According to the PRC, as of August 2007 the number of exposed personal records exceeded 150 million. As of this writing, that figure is pushing past 220 million, which means the rate of exposure is accelerating dramatically. Even if these exposed records are recovered, or not yet misused, each case represents the potential for serious misuse such as identity theft. According to reports published by the Federal Trade Commission, identify theft is a massive, expensive problem that victimizes hundreds of thousands of people each year. That is why these breaches are recorded and publicized and why a slew of legislation has passed to address the issue. The potential damage stemming from data privacy breaches is only one of many reasons to focus on information and data security. Similar issues surround corporate intellectual property, trade secrets and national security. For these, the same vulnerabilities and protections apply. Microsoft is releasing seven critical updates to Windows Vista, Internet Explorer and Office to address security concerns such as the “animated cursor” vulnerability exposed in 2007 that allows attackers to ultimately corrupt memory and take control of a computer. On a broader scale, according to 18 CERTIFICATION MAGAZINE May 2008
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