In this latest case, a hacker got the password for an employee’s personal e-mail account, possibly by guessing or by correctly answering a security question. He then worked from there to steal confidential company documents.

Most social security sites do not use SSL, thereby the session ID of their user, which is included in the URL, sits on a proxy. Hackers use this effectively to gain entry. Also, password recovery features of employees private email account get compromised as in the case of Twitter.

Identity theft is vulnerability on social networking sites. It’s always important not to leave open complete profile and contact information. It is an area that needs user education.

Article on FOX NEWS: Twitter Hacked, Confidential Files Made Public

A University of Central Missouri police sergeant and his wife have been arrested in an identity theft involving the stolen Social Security numbers for 7,000 students and alumni.

James and Amanda Drake have been charged with fraud, forgery, illegal credit card use and filing a false police report.

The FBI and university police are continuing their investigation.

Read Entire Article: The Kansas City Star

He was charged June 29 in federal court with one count of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. But court affidavits say he stole the identities of more than 80 people all over the United States. If convicted, he could face as much as 34 years in prison.

Investigators say Pidan admitted to using the identities of between 80 and 100 people to steal money from various banks.

Pidan admitted opening between 80 and 100 bank accounts in other people’s identities at Bank of America, Chase Bank and Washington Mutual Bank. He opened mailboxes in places like Fargo, North Dakota, and Rapid City, South Dakota, to be used as mailing addresses in connection with the fraud.”

Read Entire Article on Portland Press Herald

Thieves targeted a Phoenix storage facility near 7th Street and Indian School Road last October, taking two hard drives.

“We think simply somebody broke in and was after the computers, not knowing anything about what might have been on the computers,” said Steve Meissner, communications director for the Arizona Department of Economic Security.

The backup drives stored sensitive information about parents and children enrolled in the Early Intervention Program for children age three and under with disabilities or developmental delays.

Read Entire Article on ABC15.com

The SecureID initiative to combat identity theft and enhance the security of driver’s licenses and ID cards was announced last week.

Effective January 1, 2010, all Hoosiers will need to complete three simple steps when renewing, amending or applying for a new driver’s license or ID card: 1. Assemble appropriate documents proving their identity, 2. Present those documents at a local license branch, and 3. Receive their driver’s license or ID in the mail after security checks are complete.

Read Entire Article Here: http://www.carrollcountycomet.com

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC 4 News) – Millions of people become the victim of identity theft in the US every year, but the State of Utah has set up a website to make it easier for ID theft victims to protect themselves.

“Identity theft is a crime of opportunity, what we encourage people is take away the ability for somebody to do it to you,” said Utah Attorney General’s Office Chief Deputy Kirt Torgensen. He said the state spent hundreds of hours creating the id theft site because of the overwhelming increase in id theft crimes.

Read Entire Story Here: http://www.abc4.com

FTC: Identity Theft Top Consumer Complaint in 2008 – FOX NEWS

According to a report issued by the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft accounted for 26 percent of all consumer complaints received in 2008.

The report says among the most common forms of identity theft, credit-card fraud was tops at 20 percent. Following close behind were government documents/benefits fraud and employment fraud, both at 15 percent.

Entire Article on FOX: http://www.foxnews.com

FTC Releases List of Top Consumer Complaints in 2008

• Stolen credit card numbers now go for as little as 6 cents each, if they’re bought 10,000 at a time.
• Access to hijacked e-mail accounts: 10 cents to $100.
• Bank account credentials: $10 to $1,000.

“The pipeline for stolen data is being replenished by phony “phishing” e-mails that are becoming more common as the economy worsens. Three-quarters of the phishing e-mails Symantec examined were banking-related, for things like low-interest loans and mortgage refinancing. When people pay for those services, their money vanishes.”

“It estimates that more than 5 million U.S. consumers lost money to phishing attacks from September 2007 to September 2008 — a 40 percent increase over the estimated number of victims a year earlier”

Read Entire Article: http://www.foxnews.com

“Passwords to banking sites, account information, Social Security and credit card numbers all become fair game.”

“The threat of malware isn’t just isolated to one hacker stealing one person’s information, say security experts. Devious software can sniff out passwords stored in browsers or word documents on a computer that hold personal information, and then pass this data along.”

Read Entire Article: http://www.foxnews.com

Here is the complete article from MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17822386/ns/dateline_nbc-to_catch_an_id_thief/