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U.S. Senate Passes Resolution Making June National Internet Safety MonthJun 08, 2010 (Close-Up Media via COMTEX) -- The United States Senate announced it has passed a resolution declaring the month of June National Internet Safety Month, and LifeLock, a developer of proactive identity theft protection solutions, is educating consumers about potential online identity theft threats. Throughout the month of June, Internet safety organizations, law enforcement, educators and others are encouraged to amplify their efforts to raise the awareness level of the potential threats that lurk online, including the potential threats of identity theft. "Every day there are millions upon millions of consumers around the world using peer-to-peer file sharing networks to download or share movies, software or other documents over the Internet," said Todd Davis, Chairman and CEO of LifeLock. "Identity thieves are using these same networks to peer into computers and access files like tax returns that contain the personally identifiable information of consumers, potentially putting unknowing consumers at risk for identity theft. It's in the best interest of consumers everywhere to uninstall file-sharing programs to lessen their vulnerabilities." Users of file-sharing networks can inadvertently expose the contents of entire hard drives containing personal information to others on the network. By simply searching for specific keywords, identity thieves are able to access and download personal information of thousands upon thousands of individuals. Footage from The Today Show on Feb. 26, 2009 demonstrated the dangers of these networks. They found an astounding 25,800 student loan applications, more than 150,000 tax returns and nearly 626,000 credit reports, all made accessible on file-sharing networks. In addition, many consumers are not aware of the ways in which the people they trust with their personal information store that information or keep it private, such as doctors or employees of financial institutions. According to a Washington Post article published February 23, the Federal Trade Commission warned nearly 100 organizations, including companies, schools and local governments, that the personal information of their customers and/or employees had been leaked onto file-sharing networks. The information found included Social Security numbers, health information and drivers' licenses. ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) |