Comments on: Institutions Cause Identity Theft http://www.zagz.com/institutions-cause-identity-theft/ Technology, Travel, eBay, Airline seating, Social Networking -- a life online Wed, 11 Aug 2010 10:54:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: PaulZag http://www.zagz.com/institutions-cause-identity-theft/comment-page-1/#comment-6901 PaulZag Thu, 28 May 2009 00:44:51 +0000 http://www.zagz.com/?p=117#comment-6901 Hi Amos Yes it was a tirade. Thanks for responding. In Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada and USA (so far possibly others), the use of personal data is becoming the default identification method for telephone conversations. This is not about Telstra or any one company, they all do it. These governments have passed "privacy laws" to regulate how companies deal with our personal data and government departments use the same personal information as an identity check.. I see two fundamental problems. Firstly the assumption is that personal data is private and if someone knows it they must be legitimate. This is the basis of identity theft. Personal data is not private. So disclosing my personal information is now as bad as disclosing my bank account PIN. Nobody knows my PIN, lots of people know my birth date. Secondly personal data can't be changed. You cannot change your birth date if too many people know it. If a database leak occurs from one institution, that data is common to all institutions. Once personal information is out you cannot put the genie back in the bottle. Hi Amos

Yes it was a tirade. Thanks for responding.

In Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada and USA (so far possibly others), the use of personal data is becoming the default identification method for telephone conversations. This is not about Telstra or any one company, they all do it. These governments have passed “privacy laws” to regulate how companies deal with our personal data and government departments use the same personal information as an identity check..

I see two fundamental problems.
Firstly the assumption is that personal data is private and if someone knows it they must be legitimate. This is the basis of identity theft. Personal data is not private. So disclosing my personal information is now as bad as disclosing my bank account PIN. Nobody knows my PIN, lots of people know my birth date.

Secondly personal data can’t be changed. You cannot change your birth date if too many people know it. If a database leak occurs from one institution, that data is common to all institutions. Once personal information is out you cannot put the genie back in the bottle.

]]> By: Amos http://www.zagz.com/institutions-cause-identity-theft/comment-page-1/#comment-6900 Amos Thu, 28 May 2009 00:38:11 +0000 http://www.zagz.com/?p=117#comment-6900 Wow, what a tirade- Telstra really pissed you off but why blame the government? It is most probably Telstra's fault. Most companies who use personal info for identification give you a few choices (mother's maiden name, pet name, your first school or place of birth etc.) so if Telstra chose to use your DOB without your permission why not dump then and move to another supplier? Amos Wow, what a tirade- Telstra really pissed you off but why blame the government? It is most probably Telstra’s fault. Most companies who use personal info for identification give you a few choices (mother’s maiden name, pet name, your first school or place of birth etc.) so if Telstra chose to use your DOB without your permission why not dump then and move to another supplier?

Amos

]]> By: Sim' http://www.zagz.com/institutions-cause-identity-theft/comment-page-1/#comment-6863 Sim' Fri, 22 May 2009 00:49:51 +0000 http://www.zagz.com/?p=117#comment-6863 Something that really bugs me is when a company calls me at my house on my phone number to talk to me about my account ... and then insists on asking me some security questions to verify my identity. Hangon - how do I know that you are who you say you are? How about we verify YOUR identity first, and then I'll give you my personal details. Something that really bugs me is when a company calls me at my house on my phone number to talk to me about my account … and then insists on asking me some security questions to verify my identity.

Hangon – how do I know that you are who you say you are? How about we verify YOUR identity first, and then I’ll give you my personal details.

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