PRO ACTIVE VERSUS REACTIVE: Why being a sitting duck does not suit me

Several people have contacted me about the prospect of national legislation to standardize the way consumer-oriented commercial web sites collect and use the personal information of visitors to their sites. While I agree this would be worthwhile legislation that is long in coming, I feel I cannot just sit around waiting for some new law.  Having "clear and conspicuous notice" of the web owners; information policies, being given the opportunity to decline to give personal information or to authorize sharing it with others, and assurances that their information will be secure, are all basic practices that most, if not all, legitimate businesses would have no problem putting into place.  Many have already done so. These are standard business practices in offline interactions with consumers so why not use the same ethics in online transactions?

The problem is that many consumers think that putting new laws into place will mean they can continue to cruise around the Internet without taking precautions to protect themselves against identify theft. Legislation and whatever punishments lawmakers decide to attach to it are only good AFTER the damage is already done and IF the perpetrators can be identified and caught. Not only that but most ID thefts are not even done online. The main ways criminals obtain personal information or documents about others do not involve computers at all:

1. Dumpster diving (stealing mail or rummaging through discarded trash);
2. Retrieving information from discarded electronic equipment, such as old computers, that have not had their memories properly sanitized;
3. Searching through government records or public records search services, or purchasing this information through online people search web sites;
4. Stealing payment or identification cards by methods such as pick-pocketing or skimming a credit card twice while making a purchase such as at a store or restaurant; and
5. Eavesdropping on conversations in public places or shoulder surfing (watching while someone speaks or types their credit number into a phone);
6. Advertising bogus job offers so that victims submit applications complete with their full name, address, telephone numbers, and banking details

Studies by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Identify Theft Resource Center (ITRC) show that most ID thefts are committed by someone the victim knows, such as family, friends, or neighbors. New laws likely will not stop cyber-criminals from doing what they already know is wrong especially if they feel they have more to gain than lose. However, there are many things we consumers can do to be proactive (instead of reactively hoping for the law to come to our aid). If you are willing to take control of your financial future instead of leaving it to chance, all it takes is a little knowledge about the "do's and don'ts" of the credit system. Protecting and/or repairing your credit will take effort on your part but is worth it. Using the right knowledge to make good credit moves in advance, is so much easier and so much more rewarding!

Your first step: Get a copy of all three credit reports WITH YOUR FICO SCORE.

Step Two: Get a copy of this FREE MINI-BOOK to learn some secrets about protecting your personal information from identity thieves.

Step Three: Get the best credit fraud coverage in the business. LIFELOCK Only $10 a month buys our $1 million service guarantee.