ID Theft is the number #1 crime

Just a quick word on the recent identity theft scandal:

On August 17, 2009, officials declared the most significant case of credit and debit card theft in the history of the U.S., said the Associated Press. 130 million credit accounts had been swiped, in addition to over 40 million credit and debit cards previously stolen and sold in 2008.

Albert “Soupnazi” Gonzalez, previously an informant for the U.S. Secret Service, is the man on whom we pin the responsibility for this crime. According to MSNBC, Gonzalez broke his own record for I.D. theft by hacking into the retail networks 7-Eleven, Inc., Hannaford Brothers, Co. Inc., and Heartland Payment Systems (New Jersey). If convicted, Gonzalez faces a life sentence.

It is suspected that Gonzalez worked closely with eleven others in order to execute this crime. The eleven face charges that will include “conspiracy, fraud, and identity theft,” said ABC News. Part of their scheme involved hacking into the wireless networks of major retail companies, as well as what is commonly referred to as “war driving.”

In essence, “war driving” entails driving around with a laptop computer, browsing for open wireless networks. The moment hackers are able to uncover a particularly weak one, they install “sniffer programs,” which detect credit and debit card numbers.

The details of this crime are well nigh worthy of being written as the storyline for next summer’s movie blockbuster. If I were to create the tagline, it’d probably sound something like this:

“11 madcap hackers. 9 retail giants. One leading mastermind. The theft that changed history.”

…But perhaps it’s best I’m not pursuing a career as a movie tagline writer.

According to Kevin Mitnick, infamous ex-hacker now turned security consultant, the total cost of the thefts is substantial and could potentially result in damage in the millions (NY Daily News).

“They got in major brands, which shows the vulnerability on the Internet,” Mitnick added.

Personally, I’m already paranoid enough, even when it comes to punching in PIN numbers at the supermarket. But according to the AP, “restaurants are among the most common targets for hackers, experts said, because they often fail to update their antivirus software and other computer security systems.’ With this and the recent ID theft case, I think I’ll be twice as vigilant when it comes to giving out information.