What Students Need to Know about Identity Theft and the Safeguarding of Information

Submitted By: TomPollack
Lead Presenter: Thomas A. Pollack
Scheduled For: Wednesday @ 10:00 AM in Water Oaks I
Session Type: Session - Presentation (includes keynote & business mtg)
Preferred Paper Track: Peer-Reviewed Paper Track
Target Audience: Faculty and Technology Administrators

Abstract:

The ease of accessibility to personal information has become an increasingly important concern in today's organizations. Crimes of identity theft in which thieves use the victim's personal information to impersonate the victim have become all too prevalent. It is estimated that the number of identity theft victims annually is in the millions. Since identity theft can be a life-changing crime, this is a very serious matter. Although identity theft cannot be eliminated, it can be controlled to an extent by taking preventive measures. A great deal of the responsibility for prevention falls on the organization's information systems professionals. Precautions must be taken in dealing with the countless records that contain personal information. Of course, individuals must also take precations to safeguard their confidential information. It is therefore important for information systems managers, general business managers, and individuals to understand information privacy and security along with relevant laws and government regulations. Many of the theft controls and measures to combat identity theft are achieved through systems and technology. Therefore, students in technology-related fields need to be aware of both the technical and legal safeguards that are intended to protect the privacy and security of information. General and technical managers must stay apprised of current trends and practices regarding identity theft and know what to do in the event of an identity theft occurence. This paper will discuss many of the technical, legal, and regulatory measures that help to avoid identity theft.