We all know the obvious examples of identity theft: stolen wallets containing our social security cards, checks, and credit cards; pre-approved credit cards taken from your mailbox; even social networking sites are revealing more and more personal information about us to complete strangers. But there are other ways that potential cyber criminals trying to exploit your sensitive information and technology—intertwined, as always, with promise and peril—could prove to be our gravest threat.
Traditional social networks
The amount of personal information we share on social media sites is scary. The amount of personal information we don’t know we’re sharing is even scarier. Most people haven’t configured their privacy controls and as networks like Facebook get into more and more trouble over privacy issues, it’s obvious the FCC is worried about rampant identity theft resulting from social media. Cyber-criminals can often learn your home address through your social media profiles and can exploit weak wireless networks in order to glean even more information.
Location-based media
If you think traditional social networks are dangerous breeding grounds for identity theft, wait until location-based media kicks into full swing. Hackers who can crack into your firmware will be able to know where you’re going and if they’ve been tracking you for a while, may have the information they need in order to fake your identity at these locations. GPS gadgets in the hands of cyber-criminals is a frightening proposition.
Webcams
It’s recently been revealed that certain app developers have concocted ways in which advertisers can track your reactions to certain ads through your computer’s webcam. At the very least, this is an extremely disturbing way for marketers to study us. At its worse, this technology could be used by hackers in order to absorb even more personal information. It would be like giving criminals a window into your living room. RATs, or Remote Access Trojans, have been shown to be able to capture information like keystrokes and even take snapshots of your computer screen, potentially netting sensitive financial information and passwords.
If you’re paranoid about identity theft, that’s probably a good thing. It’s a healthy to be fearful of someone tapping into your bank accounts. There are more ways than ever for criminals to learn your personal information and track your physical and Internet destinations. Taking precautions when you engage with new technologies is essential.