When bad things happen to your good name

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Milena5.jpg” caption=”Milena Head”]They phish, spoof, skim, and shoulder surf. And while it sounds like fun and games, the stakes are high and it's the consumer who's at the losing end.

The light-hearted terminology describes methods used to commit identity theft  all types of crime where someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person's personal data to engage in various fraud schemes.

Milena Head, associate professor of information systems is in the midst of a cross-country survey of consumers, businesses and victims of identity theft. Her research involves understanding the scale and scope of ID theft  the fastest growing crime in Canada and a phenomenon that is referred to as the 'crime of the century'.

Head, recently appointed associate dean, academic, for the Science in the City lecture Identity theft: when bad things happen to your good name.

Phishing  or spoofing  is an emerging trend used by identity thieves to lure personal and/or financial information from unsuspecting consumers. The ID thieves create and design e-mails and web sites that look like legitimate and trusted businesses and deceive the consumer into disclosing personal information over the Internet.

In an interview with the Hamilton Spectator, Head notes “it's scary how easy it is for them to get this information,” and she offers some solutions to make consumers more aware of how they can protect themselves.

“We have to educate the individual consumer to be skeptical and leery every time they use or submit personal information, whether it's credit or debit cards, passports or social insurance numbers. Then we have to educate employees and businesses to securely protect their customers. Society as a whole has to be a part of the solution,” says Head.

There is, however, a delicate balance between the need to protect against identity theft and what the consumer is willing to tolerate to protect their good name.

“We can use biometrics  individual physical traits  to thwart identity theft. But the question then becomes: are consumers willing to be fingerprinted, or have iris or retina scans in conjunction with using their own credit card? Or do we look at something as simple as using a pin number with a credit card?” asks Head.

Professor Head's public lecture is free and all are welcome. The lecture takes place in the Hamilton Spectator Auditorium, 44 Frid Street in Hamilton. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the lecture begins at 7 p.m. To reserve your seat: e-mail sciencecity@mcmaster.ca
or call 905-525-9140 ext. 24934.