Identity Theft

Rating:
Summary: Protect YOUR idenity and read this book
Review: A friend of mine recenty had his wallet stolen while at a pro football game.... and then his problems began credit card charges, rental car rented and on and on.
This book really put this "simple crime" in prospective and then gets into more "serious crime" situations and informs readers as how to prevent, detect, avoid and most importantly how to fix
this very serious form of very personal crime.Deals with simple identiy theft such as my friends wallet theft to internet, government and private business idenity theft and the tremendous potential loss of money,information and more.
Information gained from this book is invaluable and along with the ease of access due to well layed out chapters and information. This book should be a reguirement for any type of security setup. If you need to protect yourself your company or government secrets READ THIS BOOK!!

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Summary: The reality of Identity Theft
Review: After two friends at work had their identities stolen, the reality of Identity Theft hits home. The number of hours they spent securing accounts, and the stress involved in regaining their identity was incredible. This book is timely since my identity has not been stolen yet. John Vacca provides excellent guidelines to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft.

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Summary: Encyclopedic Approach to Identity Theft
Review: Encyclopedic and fascinating to read, this book is a must for experienced security and law enforcement personnel. It demonstrates how to assess organizational exposure to threats, manage risks, and implement countermeasures and policies. The chapters contain practical advice on how to protect customer and corporate information and how to prevent theft from occurring on Internet Sites. There are guidelines for reporting theft and avoiding credit card fraud. Of particular interest is an e-merchant ranking of security tools-rule-based detection and real-time card authorization are viewed to be the most effective and economical way of avoiding fraud. An extensive list of recommendations provides useful guidelines for preventing and/or limiting identity theft for both individuals and corporations. For instance, guard your social security number like your life, order a credit report each year, purchase over the Internet only on those sites with secure browsers that encrypt or scramble purchase data, use an unlisted telephone number, and have your name removed from marketing lists. As with all of Vacca's books, the writing is clear and easy to follow. He takes complicated subjects and makes them accessible.

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Summary: How does one person know so much?
Review: Having just lost wallet (actually I consider it stolen) I was very anxious to read this book to find out what my exposure was. What I read in this book made my blood curdle! This book paid for itself in just the first few chapters with all the practical information on what to do and how to not let this happen again. If you value your privacy and more importantly your credit rating, you can't afford to NOT read this book!!!

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Summary: A Great Expose on the Fastest Growing Crime in America!
Review: How many times have you disposed of items containing personal information (e.g., credit card statements, Electric Bills, etc.) without destroying them first or utilized a personal computer in a public place (e.g., Airport, Train Station, etc.)? After reading Identity Theft you may think twice. John Vacca presents an informative text that enlightens the reader on current methods employed by identity predators and how to protect yourself and your business. Mr. Vacca also addresses the Internet environment and the increasing use of E-Commerce, and exposes the dangers that exist both from the user and developer perspectives. For the IT professional, Identity Theft offers many informative essays on the use of Digital Signatures, Smart Cards, Optical Cards and Encryption as protection methods. I highly recommend this book to anyone!

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Summary: This time, its personal!
Review: How often have you heard in the news or read the headlines about a progressively maturing technical threat? Then, did you think that this particular threat (virus, credit theft, identify theft)just might concern you, but its too technical to really bother with? John Vacca has taken one of the most serious threats to infiltrate our personal lives, and made it so simple to understand and to guard against, that you'd be foolish to once again tell yourself, "Odds are, it won't affect me so I won't bother with it!" Criminals are evolving, and they're resorting to far more creative ways and means to elude and to fool authorities. Would someone go to the trouble to steal your identity just to withdraw [money]from your bank account? He certainly would, once shown just how simple this type of thievery can be. I highly recommend this book to anyone who's interested in safeguarding his/her own identity, finances, credit history, and criminal history (or lack thereof)! I was certainly surprised how just a few security checks here and there can make a world of difference.

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Summary: Watch out everybody! We are all out for grab.
Review: I am a fan of John Vacca, no question about that. A book like this is one of the reasons why. John can take a subject that might be difficult to tackle for a non expert and make it not only easy to understand but stimulating and extremely informative. This subject is of everybody concern and should motivate us all to do something to protect ourselves from the wolfs out there. John gives some pretty good advise on what to do.
Great reading stuff.

Rating:
Summary: Good source matarial for class
Review: I used this book in my Management in Society class in college. The assignment was to write a paper about an issue that did not exist 10 years ago. Identity theft seems like an interesting subject since it is a topic that every person should be concerned about in the United States. I even did an individual presentation off of the information in this book. I think the simplistic way the book is laid out is a strength of this book. I was able to find good information in a short period of time because of how well the book was organized. I would recommend this book to anyone who might have the need to do the same type of research or anyone who wants to protect oneself from the crime of identity theft.

Rating:
Summary: Required reading for ANYONE online
Review: Identity theft and fraud, as Vacca points out, occurred prior to online transactions and the net, but this has greatly exacerbated the problem.

He goes into some detail on biometrics, and other techniques to
minimise the threat, most of which are currently too expensive for widespread implementation, but which help with understanding the problem. His advice to E-business implementors is invaluable, covering everything from the most basic physical precautions to the most technical.

This is not as heavily technical as most of Vacca's books, but I think the target audience is different and more widespread, and this book really should be required reading for anyone who uses online transactions, or even email. Frightening, and makes you think twice.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book!!
Review: Identity theft is becoming so widespread so fast the cops cannot keep up with the complex process of policing, apprehending, and prosecuting offenders. This means that you as an individual or as manager responsible for an organization need to take preventative steps. Buy this book, it may help to save your identity.