Companies Throw Security Out With the Garbage

Identity theft is now the largest form of white-collar crime in the western world, but not because the Internet has made it easier to steal personal information, according to Al Trujilio, president of secure destruction service provider, Recall Corporation. Despite the hype around hacking into corporate networks for financial gain – whose spectacular nature means it gets a lot of media attention – identity theft could be something as simple as rooting around in the garbage at the back of a supermarket for credit card receipts, according to Trujilio. He heads a global company who has made a business out of making sure critical information is destroyed before it is thrown into the garbage. In fact, the traditional forms of identity theft, such as dumpster diving, are still the most widely used. The real boon to identity thieves is the ease with which the stolen information can be used, Trujilio told ZDNet Australia . “The Internet is a wonderful resource, but it makes it easier to share information for good or bad,” said Trujilio. “Whereas before if you stole information you might not have been able to use it, now you can.” “You used to have to present the cards physically, now it can be done online. It’s much easier to use the information and companies are now beginning to catch up.” Full Story