FTC debuts new "Cyber Mall" to highlight identity theft risks & online security awareness

The FTC has recently opened a site to spread awareness of how easy it is to unknowingly fall victim to online scams & the identity thefts risks associated with social networking sites. Some of the games & scenarios include info on how (&why) to protect your personal information, how to spot scams, including spotting advertising techniques, nigerian (419) letters, free vacations, modeling offers & much more. This is a great site with information everyone young & old can learn from.

From the FTC's news release:
"At the Security Plaza, visitors can build a social networking page and see the unintended consequences of posting personal information. They also get tips on how to keep their computers safe while they're online. In the arcade, visitors can play Info Defender 3 and protect Earthlings from Cyclorian invaders who would steal their identities. The game teaches the importance of protecting personal information, including Social Security numbers."

http://www.ftc.gov/youarehere/

Medicare mails postcards with SS#'s

An insurance mailer contracted by Medicare has mailed out postcards with recipients social security numbers in plain sight. They have offered credit monitoring for 1 year but after that, people are on their own.
http://news.aol.com/article/insurance-mailer-exposes-80000-medicare/775071

What the web knows about you (& tells the world)

In this article by Robert Mitchell (computerworld.com) He writes about performing in depth web searches to see what results were returned. He was surprised to find everything from his SS# to digital signatures posted online. What surprised him most was that most of the guilty parties were the government & other businesses related to financial institutions.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9125058