Every three seconds there is a new victim

            The ITRC data breach report

As of July 22, 2014 there have been 411 data breaches with 11, 059, 749 records exposed. The Ponemon Institute estimates the average cost per records breached is $145.

http://www.idtheftcenter.org/images/breach/ITRC_Breach_Report_2014.pdf

                      What is a breach?

An event in which an individual name plus social security number

, driver's license number, medical records or a financial record/credit/debit card is potentially at risk

                  The financial ripple effect 

The financial impact on the companies that have been breached is immediate and long-lasting, executives have lost their jobs, there have been layoffs and some companies have even gone out of business because of it. It is estimated it can take up to two years for these companies to rebuild trust and confidence in their brand. If you go to the ITRC data breach report you will see a broad spectrum of businesses, government websites,  hospitals and other health care providers that have been victimized.

Visit the ITRC website and go to the victims help tab  you'll find a wealth of guides, tips and tools to help educate you on how to protect yourself and what to do if you are a victim of identity theft.

http://www.idtheftcenter.org/Help-for-Victims/document-
catalogue.html


                        What's in your car?

If your car is ever stolen or broken into it could be a treasure trove for identity thieves. Most people have their automobile registration, insurance cards, bill of sale for the car and sometimes the repair bills with a credit card receipt attached. We sometimes leave our laptops, tablets, wallets and mail in plain view inside the car. In the wrong hands these items and documents could make your life miserable trying to rebuild your identity.


We all should be very aware of what we leave in our car and don't leave these items in plain sight as an invitation to break into your car or steal it. Most cars have a separate key to lock the glove boxes, make sure it is locked before you leave your car and if you valet park it make sure that the key is with you and don't leave any valuables or any information in plain view. It takes just a few seconds to take these precautions.

             How smart is your smart phone ?

The smart phones have changed our lives forever. You can text, email, surf the web, watch movies, and manage our finances through your smart phone. Which means if it is lost, stolen or hacked into  it provides the identity thieves with a tremendous amount of your personal information.


Make sure you always password protect the phone so if it has been stolen the locked phone will slowdown the thieves access to your information which will give you time to protect your other accounts.

                   Other links of interest

Visit this link to hear our weekly small business Mastermind pod casts

http://101smallbusinessmastermind.com/Master_Mind_Pages.html

My website and my LegalShield hub site
http://richardbentley.us/

https://w3.legalshield.com/aasites/Multisite?site=hub&assoc=rdbentley


http://www.101marketingpodcast.com

http://www.seniorscamspodcast.com

http://www.selfdefenseweaponssite.com/