Identity theft continues to be one of the fastest growing crimes in America. Over 220 million records were stolen in the US in 2009 and more than 130 million credit card numbers were stolen in one incident alone involving Heartland Payment Systems.

Studies have found that most identity theft occurs internally with disgruntled employees and dishonest co-workers. Lost and stolen thumb drives, laptops and other portable devices account for most incidents of identity theft in the workplace. External incidents involve phishing scams, ATM scams, theft of medical records, financial institution records, and organized crime syndicate internal and external attacks.

What can you do to protect your workplace and employees from identity theft?

• Screen all employees before hiring
• Screen temps & contractors
• Implement physical access control systems
• Effective training & policy enforcement
• Conduct penetration tests
• Implement data breach/ ID theft programs
• Physical security system audits
• Threat & risk assessments
• Identity Theft training

For more information on Identity Theft and resources, click here.