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Identity theft

About: Identity theft is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2284 publications have been published within this topic receiving 31700 citations.


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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This project is to enable the security access control scheme against inference attack and uses a permission based protection mechanism which limits the direct access of user data.
Abstract: Social Networking System (SNS) like Facebook and Twitter have gained more popularity in this new era. It allows millions of individuals to create online profiles and share their personal information with vast networks of friend’s. SNS allows third party extensions to access the users’ information through Application Programming Interface (API). Since millions of users are using these sites it will lead to privacy problems and leakage of private information. This leakage happens without the knowledge of user, which leads to security problems like identity theft and phishing attack. Unknown user taking the information without our knowledge is called inference attack. This paper uses a permission based protection mechanism which limits the direct access of user data. Once an extension is certified by the user to access data from users’ profile, then there is no more control on how it uses the data. Third party application can be built on trusted or un-trusted server. If it is an un-trusted server it will lead to inference attack and malicious user may use the information for unintended purposes and our data will be at risk. The main objective of this project is to enable the security access control scheme against inference attack.

1 citations

Journal Article
TL;DR: The ChoicePoint scandal as discussed by the authors revealed that identity thieves had purchased personal data on approximately 145,000 Americans, including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, financial information and other details.
Abstract: INTRODUCTION Prior to February 2005, most Americans were unfamiliar with ChoicePoint, a data broker that aggregates and sells personal information. In 2005, however, ChoicePoint revealed that identity thieves had purchased personal data on approximately 145,000 Americans.1 For the first time, many Americans became aware of the dangers of "commercialized" identity theft-where identity thieves pose as legitimate companies and simply buy the personal details they need from companies who maintain vast databases of personal information on virtually every U.S. citizen. This type of commercialized identity theft simply is not possible in the European Union, however, due to those countries' stricter data protection and privacy laws. This Note will explain why the ChoicePoint scandal could not have happened in the European Union by comparing the legal data protection and privacy frameworks in the United States and European Union. This Note will then consider the philosophical underpinnings of the respective privacy protections in the United States and the European Union, and suggest that protecting Americans from commercialized identity theft will require fundamental shifts in the way Americans view their personal information. Finally, this Note will consider the Federal Trade Commission's recent actions against ChoicePoint, and whether these measures adequately address the problem of commercialized identity theft. I. THE CHOICEPOINT INCIDENT In February 2005, ChoicePoint, described as "one of the nation's biggest information services,"2 disclosed that it had "inadvertendy" sold personal and financial records to identity thieves.3 These identity thieves posed as officials in legitimate debt collection, insurance, and check-cashing businesses,4 and used these fraudulent business identities to open nearly fifty accounts with ChoicePoint.5 For between $5 and $17 per report, the identity thieves then purchased thousands of reports containing names, addresses, Social Security numbers, financial information and other details.6 Investigators do not know the extent to which the information was used or resold,7 but a similar scam, perpetrated against ChoicePoint in 2000, resulted in at least $1 million in fraudulent purchases.8 A. Identity Theft Identity theft is defined as "the unauthorized use of a person's name, address, birth date, Social Security number and mother's maiden name to fraudulently obtain credit cards, loans, and open bank accounts."9 Identity theft is not the same as credit card fraud, where thieves gain access to the victim's existing credit card account information and charge purchases to that account.10 With identity theft, the thief opens entirely new accounts using the victim's identity but with different addresses attached to the accounts to prevent the victim from discovering the fraud.11 Whereas a victim of credit card fraud can usually correct any damage by reporting the fraudulent charges and changing her account number,12 an identity theft victim must deal not only with the fraudulent purchase but also with the often catastrophic damage to her credit report.13 Even within the category of "identity theft," identity thieves access the personal information necessary to open fraudulent accounts in a variety of ways. Some are "hackers" who essentially break into company databases to steal the information,14 like a burglar smashing a window to gain access to your house. This Note, however, will focus on what I have termed "commercialized" identity theft, referring to instances where identity thieves pose as legitimate companies and simply buy the personal details they need from data mining companies, such as ChoicePoint, that maintain vast databases containing personal information on virtually every U.S. citizen.15 This is analogous to a burglar being able to legally buy a key to your house. This type of commercialized identity theft is only possible with the existence of these data mining companies who, in turn, can only exist within a legal framework that allows for the collection, aggregation, and sale of personal information by and to third parties. …

1 citations

Book ChapterDOI
01 Jan 2013
TL;DR: The world of computers and the information that is stored, processed, analyzed, and disseminated by them are constantly changing and information must maintain its confidentiality, integrity and availability in order to maintain its value.
Abstract: The world of computers and the information that is stored, processed, analyzed, and disseminated by them are constantly changing. While the progress achieved in this dynamic field has improved the general state of the world, there are always those who use new technology in ways for personal gain or criminal activity, thus causing damage to individuals and organizations. The CIOs, CISOs, and CSOs must work together to protect the companies and individuals that they serve. Information must maintain its confidentiality, integrity and availability in order to maintain its value. Crimes such as data and identity theft must be curtailed.

1 citations

01 Jan 2013
TL;DR: In researching professionals in the field who are also instructing course content on these same practices, this project will contribute to future research on similar topics of safe guarding one’s identity.
Abstract: Despite the vast research on identity theft, little is known about the preventative measures of professionals who work in the information technology/systems sector who also instruct cyber security and information technology courses. The overall image that emerges from the literature is negative: lazy, corrupt, unpatriotic, apathetic con artists who will steal at all costs an individual’s identity to use for their personal gain. This study recovers some of the low tech and high tech measures to safe guard one’s self against identity theft. A quantitative survey was designed and distributed to information systems/security professionals teaching at a community college in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. An analysis of the survey responses yields the information systems/security professionals own explanations of the methods used to safeguard their personal information from identity theft criminals. This study is part of a growing body of research on safe guard measures against identity theft. In researching professionals in the field who are also instructing course content on these same practices, this project will contribute to future research on similar topics of safe guarding one’s identity.

1 citations


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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
202384
2022165
202178
2020107
2019108
2018112