02/04/2013 By
Adam Levin, Chairman and Co-Founder, Credit.com and Identity Theft 911 A
funny thing happened on my way from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. – I found
myself on a flight without Wi-Fi. The prospect of being unplugged for more than
four hours on a flying machine without the ability to communicate with (or
distract) colleagues, with zero information from the outside world – let's just
say I almost lost it. I
had two newspapers and a book by my favorite fiction writer, Vince Flynn, but I
was not connected. And somehow, the thought of being alone (even though I was
on a full flight) for a large chunk of time was daunting. And, let's face it,
the fact that we've all become so co-dependent – with MACHINES – is kind of
pathetic. But here we are. The
irony is that it's only when you are suddenly disconnected that you realize how
pervasive digital connectivity really is. So I tried to think of the true
impact. There were so many implications to being offline and relatively
isolated at an altitude of 37,000 feet, and they all centered around the
security of the no-tech environment.
That
said, before I declare victory regarding the fortress-like nature of my
identity management skills, I must take a moment to reflect upon my various
exposures. Despite
my best efforts to stay under the personal data radar, sites like Spokeo
possess information about me that they have gleaned and scraped from various
public sites and/or filings that haven't been properly redacted by government
authorities who have a long and sullied history of defending consumer privacy.
(Let's not forget South Carolina’s
Department of Revenue.) I can monitor it, but it's beyond my control
to some extent. My
personal identifying information almost certainly can be found in hundreds of
databases, and I have no way of knowing about it. One of them may have already
been compromised – it could be as simple as someone selling a list to a third
party. Enterprising individuals and syndicates are undoubtedly hoarding facts
and probabilities about me that will determine whether or not I become the
victim of a crime despite my best efforts to protect myself. When
and where this disaster will strike is a mystery, but it's only a matter of
time. In the past year, I have had several credit cards compromised and
replaced by credit card companies. In one case, the 16 digits from my card were
illegally recorded, either by a data processing device or a website I visited.
According to Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, hundreds of databases containing
millions of records were compromised in 2012 alone. There
is nothing I can do while unplugged on a plane about third-party vendors
contracted by one of my institutional relationships being breached. My
information is out there along with that of millions of other consumers. I
can't be sure my doctor’s office or the billing department at my favorite
store is totally secure. I can't vet every waiter, greeter or owner I trust
with my credit card information. I trust my cleaning lady and florist
implicitly, but can I be sure that if she needs a substitute for a day or an
unfamiliar employee shows up on a service call that they all have my best
interests at heart? When I take my car in for service, but forget to remove the
registration from the glove box, or drive to a meeting and leave the car with a
parking attendant, can I be sure they have no interest in learning more about
me than is appropriate? How do I really know the customer service
representative at my financial institution or the admin at my insurance agent's
office isn't doing a side job for folks who make money by using my personal
information in creative and totally unauthorized ways? As
we begin 2013, it's worth remembering how much is beyond our control. The most
fastidious, organized and self-protective among us are vulnerable every minute
of every day. Too much personal information is out there to protect you from
the spillover effects of a totally interconnected global economy, especially if
a criminal element is thrown into the mix. No stone-age airplane with no Wi-Fi
can save us. We can (and should) be covetous to the point of paranoia. In
my case that means logging on when I get off the plane to make sure I haven't
been robbed or unwittingly purchased property in Nigeria. There is nothing
crazy about monitoring everything we do, especially our credit, and having a
damage control program in place just in case we suffer an identity emergency.
If you don't have a plan, make one in 2013. |