Identity Theft

With the invention of the computer, life and technology have never remained separate entities. A separate cyber world has come to coexist, where we live and interact with other people. And with the cyber world, new kinds of crime have come into existence, just as a new invention in science must have a negative side to it. One such cyber crime is Identity Theft. 

Identity Theft is a crime in which someone steals (or obtains secretly) some vital identification of some other person. It is often accompanied by a fraud, called Identity Fraud, committed using someone else’s identity. For instance, one may obtain credits from a credit card by using someone else’s credit card number. Or one may hack into a bank’s accounts and run away with millions of rupees, using someone else’s identification or password. 

Identity theft is classified into five major categories:

1. Industrial / business-related identity theft ( to gain recognition )
2. Immoral identity theft ( pretends to be another person when taking into custodies for crime)
3. Financial identity theft ( to obtain commodities and services )
4. Identity cloning ( By means of someone’s identity to presume his lifestyle )
5. Medical Identity ( to achieve drugs and medication )

Identity cloning is common among immigrants, who exchange identities or impersonates someone else. Unlike commercial identity thefts, this kind of theft may go undetected for years. 

Retrieval of personal data from abandoned IT equipments is one way in which such thefts are carried out. There are other common techniques in use like computer hacking, skimming credit cards using compromised readers, stealing information using malware, or simply stealing credit cards or Personal identification Numbers. 

Identity thefts can be mitigated by offering not personal information unless necessary. This implies that IT procedures do not demand unnecessary information. Processes should not involve clients requiring to store their identity information on systems. 

To prevent computer threats like malware, hacking and password attacks, one must be aware about data security, and should use secure software and operating systems. Organisations should be careful as to remove confidential data from storage systems before abandoning them. In recent years, commercial theft protection services have become available in different countries. 

New laws have been created to combat such tech crimes, under different Information Technology Acts in countries like Australia, Canada, France, India, Sweden, UK and the United States. Efficient efforts from both the individual and the organisations and institutions can help bring such crimes under control.