Identity Theft a Growing Concern during National Internet Safety Month
LifeLock Encourages Parents to Speak to Children about Online Security Threats
Tempe, Ariz. – (May 26th, 2011) – In accordance with a resolution passed by the United States Senate in June 2006, June is National Internet Safety Month, a time when parents are urged to speak with their children about the potential dangers and threats that lurk online. The Unisys Corporation released new research that shows that Americans are significantly more concerned about nearly all aspects of their security compared to six months ago. The biggest increase in their security concerns are centered on internet security, measuring at levels 35 percent higher than in August 2010.
“In today’s technology-driven world we share so much personal information about our lives in 140 characters or less that we often fail to see how it can put us at risk. The blurred lines between the virtual and real lives of our children have made keeping them safe an even tougher job,” said Ann Harkins, President and CEO of the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC). “It is more important than ever that we discuss with our children what is considered personal information, the potential pitfalls of sharing too much, and how to best keep personal information secure.”
According to the Federal Trade Commission’s 2010 Consumer Sentinel Report, identity theft tops the list of consumer complaints for the 11th consecutive year. Identity theft complaints filed to the FTC in 2010 on behalf of young people 19 and under accounted for 8% of all identity theft complaints.
LifeLock, a leader in proactive identity theft protection, encourages parents to share the following information with their families in order to be safe when opening the front door of the internet:
Sharing Stops Here: What information needs to be shared on social media sites? Facebook and Twitter don’t NEED to have your date of birth, your home address, your phone number or your email address listed. Help your family to understand that this information is OPTIONAL.
Music Maker: Where did all of the music on your child’s mp3 player, iPod, iTouch, or iPad come from? Take a look at your child’s music device and do the math. Did he/she pay for the 400 songs? If not, chances are the music was downloaded via a peer-to-peer file-sharing network. These networks - including but not limited to FrostWire, BearShare, Kazaa - not only allow sharing of music files but also can share the personal documents housed on your personal computer including but not limited to your electronic tax returns.
Perfect Passwords: Passwords should be simple enough to remember but complex enough to keep non-approved users out. Strong passwords include both uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. An example of a strong password would be: T2dacdngaaa! To remember: The 2 dogs and cat do not get along at all!
Chit Chat: When chatting online, understand that the person you may be interacting with may not really be who they say they are. Do not share any information about yourself in a chat forum including your name, age, school, address or other information. If you want to chat with a friend, pick up the phone or meet in person.
Contact:
Cortney Lanik
Media Relations Manager
480-457-2032
Cortney.Lanik@lifelock.com
About LifeLock
LifeLock, Inc. is an industry leader in identity theft protection. Since 2005, LifeLock has been relentlessly protecting identities by providing consumers with the tools and confidence they need to help protect themselves from identity theft and manage their credit. The company has a strong focus on educating consumers and working with law enforcement and elected officials to better understand the increasing threats of identity theft. A multiple award-winning organization, LifeLock has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as the eighth fastest growing private company (2010), by Arizona Corporate Excellence as Arizona’s Fastest Growing Company, and by the American Business Awards as having the Best New Product or Service of the Year for the LifeLock Identity Alert® system.
About the National Crime Prevention Council
The National Crime Prevention Council is the nonprofit leader in crime prevention. For 30 years, our symbol of safety, McGruff the Crime Dog®, has delivered easy-to-use crime prevention tips that protect what matters most—you, your family, and your community. Law enforcement agencies nationwide rely on our expertise to make an impact on personal safety and crime every day. For more information on how NCPC can be a public safety expert for you or how to “Take A Bite Out of Crime®,” visit www.ncpc.org.
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