Your Personal Information is our Job #2 or 3

2005 will be known as "The Year of Botched Identity Data Security"

Seriously, let's take a look at the timeline here of the BIG losses, including today's:

February 2005: ChoicePoint (Personal Data Vendor): personal data for 145,000 (known, may be up to 500k) unsuspecting individuals stolen by hackers
February 2005: Bank Of America: data for 1.2 million charge card customers lost when computer back up tape lost in shipping accident
March 2005: LexisNexis (Personal Data Vendor): personal data for 310,000 (originally thought 32,000) unsuspecting individuals stolen by hackers
April 2005: Ameritrade: data for 200,000 personal accounts lost when computer back up tape lost in shipping by courier
May 2005: Wachovia AND Bank of America: Informed that data for 100,000 customers were stolen internally and sold to collection agencies
June 2005: CitiFinancial: data for 3.9 million customers lost when back up tape lost in shipping by UPS

Granted, the back up tapes were encrypted, but most of these incidents involved data not only including name and account information but DOB, mother's maiden name, social security numbers, linked accounts, and a shit ton of other info that is fodder for ID thefts or just thefts in general. ChoicePoint and LexisNexis, are data brokers, as in they got your skinny through other means and sell your information to people who like to fill in your mailbox with useless shit. So for the 455,000 people who's information got ganked, you got double-fucked. Thankfully, Congress has promised to look into this matter next year sometime.

I'm glad to see some progress being made by states changing their Drivers License#s to something other than your SSN, as well as colleges for their student ID numbers.

As stated on the Social Security Administration home page:

"You should treat your social security number as confidential information...Giving your number is voluntary even when you are asked for the number directly. If requested, you should ask:

1. Why your number is needed
2. How your number will be used
3. What happens if you refuse
4. What law requires you to give your number."

Thanks SSA!......."Way to go, kids!"