Six data breach losses in six days. Your identity is not safe, it is a matter of "when" not "if" your identity is stolen.
January 31, 2008. South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Names and Social Security numbers of around 400 Spartanburg, Cherokee, Union, Greenville and Pickens county state health department workers.
January 30, 2008. Davidson Companies, Great Falls Montana.
Names and Social Security numbers of 226,000 current and former clients of Great Falls financial service.
January 29, 2008. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.
300,000 members names, social security numbers and other personal information.
January 29. 2008. Wake County Emergency Medical Services North Carolina.
Names, addresses and Social Security numbers of 850 patients transported by county ambulances.
January 29, 2008. Georgetown University, Washington D.C.
40,000 Georgetown students, alumni, faculty and staff social security numbers from 1996-2006.
January 28, 2008. T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Baltimore Maryland.
CBIZ Benefits and Insurance Services of Severna Park Maryland prepares 5500 forms for T. Rowe Price. 35,000 current and former clients in "several hundred" plans, names and Social Security numbers were lost by CBIZ.
Most of these companies have offered a one-year subscription to a credit monitoring service to affected clients.
All of the companies state that they do not feel the loss will comprimise anyone's information. Read the "We Do Not Believe Anyone's Personal Information Was Compromised" blog by clicking here.
Thousands of unnecessary dollars are being spent because these companies did not have the identity programs in place mandated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that pertain to all size businesses.
Credit monitoring is a minor loss for the company. Companies incur other major losses. There is a loss of productivity resulting in a decrease in profits to the company due to employees taking time off to clear any problems that may result
from the theft.
Loss of customers and also lawsuits that may be filed by customers.
The most devastating loss comes from class actions suits filed by State and Federal Agencies. One of the new federal laws has "no statutory limitations".
TJX-owned stores exposed 45 million credit cards and accounts in July 2005.
TJX Cos. is now facing $40.9 million in a settlement to Visa. This settlement does not include other banks or credit card agencies that have lawsuits against TJX Cos.
Companies need to be proactive and not reactive in dealing with identity theft. The time, the money, the losses, and the victims along with the business can be devastated beyond repair.
Call 888-588-5648 for more information on identity theft or if you feel that you may be a victim of a data loss breach.
