Hackers: Identity Theft and Personal Information Essay

Submitted By mofitch0493
Words: 2440
Pages: 10
Open Document
To steal one’s identity is a scam that has been around over the passage of time, but to take on someone’s identity through intangible manners is a new phenomenon of this century. In today’s society we face a threat with the usage of online activity. Internet users have placed themselves in a vulnerable position. These frequent users are susceptible to “hackers” obtaining personal information with the intent to exploit. Countless of internet users are having their information stolen through online activity and in the processes billions of dollars are being loss. Things that one would find to important and personal such as a credit card number or social security number are being stolen and misused. With the progression of technology these hackers are obtaining information and practicing fraudulent behavior through other mediums besides the computer, such as smart phones, tablets, and other portable devices. Unfortunately, our law has been very blasé about the situation and has yet to take severe action. There are certain steps that a concerned citizen can take to protect one’s self of fraudulent activity. Being aware of your settings and who views your personal information can save you the risk of being victimized. You may also want to protect your computer through the use of firewall programs. Only you, the online internet user can protect yourself from identity thieves, by regulating and constantly monitoring your online activity. Technological advancement will only broaden the playground for devious users.

Introduction Identity theft is of rising concern for people in the United States that was estimated to cost Americans 1.52 billion dollars in 2012. According to OECD, identity theft occurs when a party acquires, transfers, posses or used personal information of a natural or legal person in an unauthorized manner, with the intent to commit, or in connection with, fraud or other crimes (OECD). Identity thieves therefore indiscriminately act to jeopardize security of individuals or institutions from every background. Whether the target is a business, corporations, or a government institution, online identity theft debilitates people’s trust to using online form safely.
People have become vulnerable to online hackers as a result of the technological advancement. The great progress of computer technology in the past decades created a cyber commercial environment that requires people to provide personal information to conduct transactions. Consequently, online identity thieves are able to exploit weaknesses they find in computer networks or systems of any organization. There are many ways perpetrators obtain people’s information illegally online while the most commonly used is through malware, spam, phishing, and hacking. Hacking, in particular, attracts savvy individuals to participate in accordance for political or financial gain while others simply undertake the act as a challenge. Wrongdoers are successful as long as they master basic computer skills necessary to breach into insecure networks.
Several government and organizational bodies have acted in efforts to mitigate the issue. Previous improvements attempted to address the problem have put forth principles intended to strengthen frameworks to deter fraud. Other principles have also served to fight online identity theft by suggesting ways to solidify frameworks to better protect data networks and in extending awareness programs for people. The purpose of this paper is to analyze standards practiced in the past, provide enhancements to previous principles, and recommend suited precautionary steps to prevent such theft.
The Problems of Identity Theft Approximately 15 million United States residents have their identities used fraudulently each year with financial losses totaling upwards of $50 billion, according to identitytheift.info. There are a number of issues contributing to the growth of the unlawful act of stealing another individual’s
Show More

Related Documents: Hackers: Identity Theft and Personal Information Essay

Essay about P3 Security Risks and Protection Mechanisms

SECURITY RISKS AND PROTECTION MECHANISMS Over the years, Internet has become very popular for those of all ages and as a result, criminals and hackers have created many techniques to affect web servers. In the past few years, there have been a number of high profile hackings taken place, for example, Sony and their PlayStation 3 records were hacked in which personal details from almost 77 million people were stolen which prevented users from playing online through the service. This essay has been produced…

Words 948 - Pages 4

Identity Theft Research Paper

person’s personal information and finances. Cyber-crimes are more wide-spread than what has been reported because of the fear of public retribution. Many times laziness and neglect result in the unauthorized exposure of personal and…

Words 1611 - Pages 7

Identity Theft: A Crime

Identity theft is a crime in which a criminal possesses key pieces of personal information, like SSN’s or driver's license numbers, and use it to personify someone else. The personal information can be used to obtain credit cards, goods, and any service using the name of the victim, or to provide the criminal with counterfeit credentials. This includes getting credit cards, personal loans, merchandise and services. Not only causing more debt, a criminal might provide counterfeit ID to authorities…

Words 825 - Pages 4

Identity Theft Research Paper

than 17 million identity theft incidents that occurred to the ages of 16 and up“ (Erika Harrell, 2015). Identity theft has become a major problem in our society; there are few ways to prevent identity theft from happening before it occurs. Corporations are trying every way possible to keep our identity and personal information secure. This will allow us to attack the injustice of identity theft, bringing criminals to trial and more safety for our personal things. When people’s identity is stolen, the…

Words 1199 - Pages 5

Unit 8 P3 Essay

grants the “hacker” access to the information which is inside a targeted computer. A hacker is a person that might be motivated by many reason like protest, profit or personal challenge. E-commerce businesses have to protect them self’s from hackers because, businesses might be storing customer’s information that could include the customer’s name, home address, bank details etc. Once the hacker has found an error in the businesses security system. It will be able to access all the information and use…

Words 285 - Pages 2

Essay on Identity Theft

Heath Clark CIS 101 Identity Theft Identity theft is a growing problem in not just America but in the world. There are many ways that one can steal someone’s identity. Some ways include: phishing, credit card fraud, libraries, and Wifi networks. Though this problem isn’t completely avoidable there are many things that you can do to protect yourself from these thieves. There are many organizations that have ahold of financial information for millions of people. These organizations are prime…

Words 1674 - Pages 7

Haley on Hacker Article Review Essay

2012 Haley on Hacker Article Review In the article I read, the South Carolina agency web site has been hacked and millions of social security numbers and credit and debit card numbers belonging to approximately 77 percent of South Carolina residents have been compromised. 387,000 credit and debit card numbers and 3.6 million social security numbers, all unencrypted, have been exposed. Haley said she knows where the attack came from, but would not reveal the location of the hacker so the investigation…

Words 366 - Pages 2

Identity Theft Research Paper

Securing Your Identity Identity theft is on the rise in the United States and Globally. The Federal Trade Commission advised that there are about nine million cases of identity theft. People who had their identity stolen often feel like they were violated. Any individual can have their identity compromised in numerous ways. Different institutions store personal information. There are several organizations that have social security numbers, bank account numbers, and credit card numbers. Colleges…

Words 2699 - Pages 11

Identity Theft Summary

Prewriting Include specific information as it pertains to your chosen source below. Theme: Technology Topic: Identity Theft Title: They are watching you Intended audience: It is intended to have an audience of people who are unaware or have some knowledge about identity theft. Writer background: The Writer is to write that identity theft is becoming a major thing. It is not to be viewed in a good way but in a way of being more preventive. Writer’s angle: Identity theft is becoming a major problem…

Words 740 - Pages 3

Identity Theft: Victims Of Identity Theft In Jail

Identity Theft Cops showing up at the door and you have no idea, what happened and why are you taken to the jail, and you are informed that there is a million dollar transaction from someone’s account that has been transferred in your account. This incident can be scary and based on the details what cops provided to you are correct and has your details on it, then you begin to think how is possible and then you realized that you did a transaction at an unsecured Wi-Fi connection at a local mall…

Words 1991 - Pages 8