[Libcvs-spec-dev] John Brewington - Department of Justice Proposes Bill to Strengthen Identity Theft Laws

[paul.kholer paul.kholer]

Last week, the United States Department of Justice proposed
legislation to Congress that would strengthen laws to fight the growing
problem of identity theft. While the administration should be commended
for their actions, the problem is much deeper than just restitution to
the victims.

In many cases of identity theft, the thieves are drug users who commit the crime to support their habit. The money is spent long before any recovery can be made and the victim is left with nothing returned. If by chance there is money recovered, one must question the method used to determine to whom it belongs.

On a corporate level, this new legislation would ensure that people who steal personal information from an organization or business can be prosecuted. In the case of the TJ Max and Marshalls security breach, a hacker broke into their computer system and accessed personal credit and debit card information from their customers. In the months that followed the breach, over 60 banks worldwide reported suspicious credit card activity that could be traced back to the security incident. This proposed legislation will have no effect on identity theft cases that take place overseas or out of the country. This is another loophole that only makes the theft of identity even more violating.

Michael Durnack, president and CEO of Identity Defense says, "The problem of identity theft needs to be fought from the front lines. Consumers should empower themselves to take ownership and control of their personal information, reducing their vulnerability to identity theft." Durnack goes on to say, "This is about preventing a fire before the fire starts."

IdentityDefense.com is a consultancy committed to helping individuals defend their identity from theft and fraud. An innovative and proprietary set of tools have been developed to help quantify vulnerability and create personalized recommendations for modifying habits and behaviors to reduce risk with Identity Defense's Customized Personal Report (CPR). These tools are provided to individuals on-line and also offered directly to financial institutions, credit unions, and financial planners to offer their customers tangible Identity Defense solutions.