To combat identity theft, protect computer, experts say

ScienceDaily (Mar. 19, 2012) — Having a triple-threat combination of protective software on your computer greatly reduces your chances of identity theft, according to a study led by a Michigan State University criminologist.

In a survey of more than 600 people, the researchers found that computer users who were running antivirus, anti-adware and anti-spyware software were 50 percent less likely to have their credit card information stolen.

The study appears in the research journal Deviant Behavior.

"When you think about antivirus software protecting you, you might think about it keeping your files safe and not losing your music and photos," said Thomas Holt, MSU associate professor of criminal justice and lead researcher on the project. "The important thing we're finding here is that it's not just about protecting your files, but also about protecting you economically -- about reducing your chances of being a victim of identity theft."

Holt's co-investigator was Michael Turner, associate professor at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

According to the study, about 15 percent of respondents said they had experienced computer-related identity theft in the past year. Males were more likely to be victims, Holt said.

"We're not sure what this might be a consequence of," he said. "Is it that males are less careful about what they do online? Is it a difference in how they shop online or conduct online commerce?"

Those who engaged in "computer-related deviance" -- such as downloading pirated music or pornographic images -- were more likely to be victims of identity theft, the study found. This is a large risk for users because pirated movies and music may contain malware and place users at risk for harm.

But the most practical news for computer users was the combined protective factor of the antivirus, anti-spyware and anti-adware software, each of which has a different function for keeping a computer safe, Holt said.

Antivirus software detects and removes malicious software programs such as viruses and worms that can corrupt a computer, delete data and spread to other computers. Anti-spyware and anti-adware programs, meanwhile, are designed to protect against software that either self-installs without the user's knowledge or is installed by the user and enables information to be gathered covertly about a person's Internet use, passwords and so on.

"You have a much better chance of not getting your credit card number stolen if you have all three forms of protective software," Holt said.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Michigan State University.

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Journal Reference:

Thomas J. Holt, Michael G. Turner. Examining Risks and Protective Factors of On-Line Identity Theft. Deviant Behavior, 2012; 33 (4): 308 DOI: 10.1080/01639625.2011.584050

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Zappos breach goes beyond credit cards: Consumers face identity theft if hackers correlate other penetrated databases

ScienceDaily (Jan. 18, 2012) — Stephen B. Wicker, Cornell professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Cornell University, comments on the Zappos web site breach by hackers.

Wicker conducts research in wireless information networks. He focuses on networking technology, law, and sociology, and how regulation can affect the privacy and speech rights. He is the author of the book "Cellular Convergence and the Death of Privacy," to be published by Oxford University Press at the end of 2012.

He says: "Though Zappos has not stated how security was breached, this event is a reminder that security is not a fix or an overlay, it is an ongoing process that must be intrinsic to the design and maintenance of an Internet presence.

"Zappos said that credit card information was not stolen, but acknowledged that email addresses, billing and shipping addresses, phone numbers, and the last four digits from credit cards may have been compromised. This is a lopsided outcome for the customer.

"The bigger problem Zappos faces is that large databases of consumer information can be used for identity theft. As Zappos acknowledged, users who use the same or similar passwords are at risk of theft through access to other sites such as Amazon or Ebay.

"More generally, information about a customer can be used to 'de-anonymize' other databases on other Web sites, further invading customer privacy. Correlation attacks enabled by such data have been shown to strip anonymity from NetFlix, AOL and other databases that were assumed safe. Thus, the information used can include customer preferences, beliefs and practices that are far harder to change than a credit card number.

"Zappos' response is admirable for its forthrightness and immediacy, but this is a reminder of the risk run when online service providers maintain databases of user data. This is a practice that many, many web site and service providers engage in for convenience and, in some cases, for profit. This is a practice that a networked society cannot afford for the long term if individual privacy is to be preserved."

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