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PA e-Comm News JANUARY 18

One of the major concerns individuals have with the Internet’s ability to access information is the threat of someone stealing your identity. What steps can people take to protect themselves? Here are our suggestions:

1. Immediately cancel credit and debit cards. Since this is difficult if your wallet or purse has been taken, photocopy each card, pass and license now so you will know what you had and can easily retrieve all of the account numbers and phone numbers that you need to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place.

2. Then promptly alert credit agencies and Social Security. Ask them to place a fraud alert against your credit cards, bank cards, social security number, etc. Supposedly, this means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit (which the identity thief may try to do in your name). The numbers are:
   Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
   Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
   Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289
   Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271

3. Then file a police report Preferably on the same day. 
   This helps prove to credit providers you were diligent and is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one) and a possible recovery.

This advice is not exhaustive, is not provided as legal advice and is no guarantee of protection or recovery -- but it could help you minimize the damage of having your credit identity stolen. 

 
How are computer viruses named? Believe it or not, there are specific guidelines for naming computer worms: the first rule dictates that the name should be anything other than what the virus writer wants it called nor the date. What the namer looks at is what might be a unique feature. Most virus writers almost always name their worms or offer clues as to what they want them named, and virus researchers almost always choose something else. Virus names come from the researcher who first finds and announces them. Experts say that so many viruses exist, trying not to use the same name twice is a challenge. 

More than 30 percent of unsolicited e-mail is either obscene or pornographic. As most of us can attest, based upon the amount of unsolicited e-mails we receive daily, the Web must be loaded with objectionable material. Most objectionable is obscene spam disguised with misleading subject lines. So how do we avoid this? It's good practice to avoid opening an e-mail from a sender you don't recognize.

Where does all this material originate? From the huge and thriving online pornography business. Believe it or not, but experts say that 60% of all Web-site visits are sexual in nature, and surfers are expected to spend more than $3 billion next year on access to adult-content sites. A porn site can buy a list of e-mail addresses from reputable marketing groups for pennies per thousand names and every time you fill out a Web form asking for your e-mail address, you are at risk of having your name sold to an undesirable company. 

Within hours of the Twin Towers destruction, scores of attack-related domain names had been registered around the world and many thousand more have popped up since, as people memorialize the tragedy or, in some cases, try to profit from it. The phrase "worldtradecenter" appeared in 1,447 domain names during a recent search of a database maintained by the Web portal Marksonline. Another 675 included "september11." And "Osamabinladen" appeared in 210. Some lead to a real Web site but most lie dormant, gathering dust in the corners of cyberspace as their owners figure out what to do with them. Prior to September 11, the hottest event that spurred such activity was the death of Princess Diana. 

NEWS & NOTES is a service of the PA e-Commerce Association. Please forward this e-mail to anyone else who might be interested in the content or in learning more about the Association. Remember to visit our website @  www.paecomm.org or call 717-238-9366.

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