What advanced technology gives us is an option to fortify our personal data, which we invariably miss to do. The same technology, instead, is used by identity thieves to steal our data, even without leaving any trace.

Why is it so?

Because they are the active lot and we are the lazy ones.

Identity thieves constantly battle to get their hands on recent technology so that they can use it to their advantage. They walk an extra mile to get that, but even when every advanced technology is made available to us, we do not tend to use any of them.

How many of us have tinkered with privacy setting in Facebook to keep our photos, updates, etc. visible only to our friends, or to some of our chosen friends? The feature to make Facebook safe is already there, but very few people tend to use it, because of which most of the Facebook profiles are up for grab for identity theft.

This is not just one of case. There are many such things that we have been left the way they are on social networking websites. A social networking unfortunately is a gold mine for identity thieves.

What to do then?

• Go to the setting menu (or any equivalent menu) and play with the privacy settings until you hide every detail from prying eyes.
• Make all your photographs private, and confine the visibility to only those whom you intend to see. You should hide them from your friends as well, for you never know who will misuse it. Keep it visible only to those who matters or those who should see the pictures.
• Do not post your postal address, telephone numbers, mobile numbers, or personal mail IDs in open forums, or in places where everyone can see it. If you have to share the number or any other personal detail then send it in a private mail.
• Keep your personal information close to your chest. Do not give away anything to anyone, until and unless you trust the recipient completely, and you have faith that they will not misuse anything shared with them.

Technological advancement in itself does not expose us to identity theft, but our inability to use it to protect us does make us naked in front identity thieves.

According to the Federal Trade Commission; if victimized by identity theft, investing in identity theft insurance prior to the occurrence would be considered a practical method of preventing a total lost.  Based on FTC reports, over 27 million people were affected by identity theft scams within a 5 year period, and these figures only account for 40% of the populous which actually reported the crime. Of the 40% reported, only 15% invested in identity theft insurance and were able to recover avoiding a total lost.  Regrettably over 60% of the nation’s population to include businesses experienced a total lost during this identity theft epidemic.

Identity fraud prevention is the ability to actively increase your likelihood of lost recovery as well as reducing the odds of being an identity theft victim.  By using identity theft insurance you’re provided with the security offered by financial institutions to assist in the refund of money lost as a direct result of identity theft. And in most cases your financial institution will offer identity theft insurance in addition to providing a level of identity theft protection, where your account is concerned.  Incorporating various forms or identity theft previsions can give you the piece of mind in knowing that your information is secured.

The Identity Theft Enforcement and Restitution Act, written by Senator Patrick Leahy in 2007, has finally passed both the House and Senate. The bill, which previously failed to be passed by the House of Representatives, was passed after Leahy attached the proposal to another bill dictating the protection of former US Vice Presidents. So along with the former U.S. Vice Presidents who will receive protection services after they leave office, victims of identity theft are being offered protections, once they’ve become or have been threatened to become victims.

This Act does appear to have some bite to it. With stricter definitions for identity and information on identity theft crimes as well as adding stiffer penalties for criminals which will hopefully help to take a bite of this crime. The bill comes as identity theft has risen to the most common crime.

“The anti-cyber crime provisions in this bill are long overdue,” said the Senator Leahy.

“The key anti-cyber crime provisions that are included in this legislation will close existing gaps in our criminal law to keep up with the cunning and ingenuity of today’s identity thieves.”

Keeping up with identity thieves is a daunting task considering the overwhelming number ID theft crimes and the devastating consequences for both individual and corporate victims.

Identity Theft Statistics in the U.S.

* There are over 10 million identity theft victims. * An identity is stolen every 4 seconds. * The average cost to restore a stolen identity and credit is $8,000. * Identity theft victims spend an average of 600 hours recovering from the crime. * Identity theft victims spend an average of 600 hours recovering from the crime.

What will The Identity Theft Enforcement and Restitution Act do for victims and prosecutors of Identity Theft?

* Victims will be able to seek restitution for the loss of time and money spent restoring credit.

* It will now be felony to install spyware or malware on more than ten computers and federal agents to pursue identity theft cases within a single state. Previously, federal jurisdiction was limited to cases in which the victim and criminal were located in separate states.

* Eliminates the requirement that damage to a victim’s computer exceed $5,000 before charges can be brought for unauthorized access to a computer.

* Makes it a felony to employ spyware or keyloggers to damage ten or more computers regardless of the aggregate amount of damage caused.

* Makes it a crime, punishable by fine and up to five years on prison, to threaten to steal or release information from a computer. Current law only permits the prosecution of those who seek to extort companies or government agencies by explicitly threatening to shut down or damage a computer.

The Identity Theft Enforcement and Restitution Act is good news for victims and bad news for perpetrators. But the ideal scenario is to prevent this crime rather than to recover from it. Protection and prevention from anti-spyware, anti-spam, anti-virus and anti-phishing programs or security suite services, along with prudent e-mail and on-line activity, are still the best defense. Citizens should employ their own not-so-secret but generally reliable services to protect themselves. If you do become a victim of identity theft, The Identity Theft Enforcement and Restitution Act, will be your friend but hopefully it’s a friend you won’t need.

Lisa Carey is a contributing author for Identity Theft Secrets: prevention and protection. You can get tips on Identity theft protection, software, and monitoring your credit as well as learn more about the secrets used by identity thieves at the Identity Theft Secrets blog.

In the fight to stop identity theft, several organizations were developed to focus on assisting individuals who have been victimized or are potential victims of identity theft; by providing identity fraud protection.  These identity protection services can monitor your credit report and alert you if your information is access for the purpose of opening new accounts or if a large purchase has been made.  When establishing a bank or credit card account most institutes will offer level plan forms of identity theft insurance as part of your monthly services, and in many cases the usage of identity theft insurance is required upon account activation.

You can also provide a certain level of identity fraud protection for yourself by adhering to simple guidelines for identity protection; such as verifying the usage of a secured site when making payment using a credit or ATM card, requesting a copy of your credit report at least three times a year, and monitoring your monthly bank and credit card statements.  More importantly, never disclose personal information over the phone unless you’re certain it is secured. Always carefully destroy all documents that reveal private information and never divulge personal information in emails to unfamiliar companies.  These tips along with an identity protection service can ensure your identity is safe and stop identity theft in its tracks.