Identity theft is an increasing problem; can you protect your credit information?

The news has recently been abuzz with several well-publicized incidents of theft of credit information from several processing agencies. The most well-publicized was a a security hole at CardSystems Solutions, Inc.. that allowed as many as 40 milliion cardholders to have their account information compromised. CardSystems, a processor of electronic payments, was a victim of a virus introduced into their in-house computer network that allowed distant hackers to access their network. This would be enough to cause most owners of credit card accounts to panic, but it gets even worse - CardSystems wasn’t even supposed to have that information in the first place. After clearing a credit transaction, card processors are supposed to delete the information. CardSystems seems to have “inappropriately” held on to the account information for what a company spokesman called “research purposes.” The only bright side to this theft is that the thieves were able to obtain credit card numbers only, and not the Social Security numbers that went along with them, which might have made millions of cases of identity theft possible. Still, this recent spate of thefts of vital financial information of ordinary citizens raises a valid question - Is there anything the average consumer can do to avoid being a victim of someone else’s poor security?

The relationships between the major credit card companies and the companies that process their transactions have terms that are usually dictated by the card companies. They are, by trusting the processors with sensitive information, supposed to keep an eye on the processors in order to make sure that the information is handled appropriately. These processes are not governed by Federal law, but the credit card companies may fine the processors for protocol violations. Little of the workings of these transactions are made public, so what, if anything, can the average consumer do?

It would appear that there is little to be done. Years ago, such transactions were handled by paper, but in today’s world, everything is done electronically. Unless every system in the chain from point of sale to the mailing of the credit card bill is completely secure, consumers are vulnerable. With billions of dollars at stake, hackers have more incentive than ever to find a way to obtain this information, and the tools used become more sophisticated every day. For the time being, consumers should be warned that their sensitive personal information is vulnerable to theft.

In time, the credit card companies will undoubtedly come up with more secure systems than the ones that are currently in use. Until that happens, the average consumer has little choice but to minimize their exposure to theft. The best way to do this is to use credit cards as little as possible, and to cancel all credit accounts except those that are absolutely necessary. It is difficult to avoid using credit cards in our twenty-first century world, but people often use them out of habit when cash or a check would be adequate. Such alternatives are often inconvenient, but at the moment, they represent the best option for avoiding identity theft or other potential financial ruin.

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