The Crime business is growing...

http://www.cifas.org.uk/press_20070130.asp

2006 – FRAUD TRENDS

The analysis of fraud trends during 2006 by CIFAS – the UK’s Fraud Prevention Service – reveals a number of key points (numerical tables are shown in the Notes for Editors below):

* Identity theft cloud has a silver lining

Although the number of victims of impersonation was up by 19.91% (at 67,406) when compared with 2005, and the number of attempted identity frauds identified by CIFAS Members was up by 21.57%, the situation is in fact much better than these statistics imply. This is because the rise in the number of attempted ID frauds detected by CIFAS Members before an account was opened increased during 2006 by almost 40%. This means that a higher proportion of the victims whose identities had been compromised never reached the stage of having money stolen from their accounts, or having products taken out in their name.

The top three false or stolen documents used by fraudsters to attempt identity fraud in 2006 were: utility bills, then passports, and then bank statements.

... * Sharing data on frauds prevents huge financial losses

CIFAS’s 250 Member organisations share data on identified frauds in the fight to prevent further fraud and, by doing so, avoided losses during 2006 totalling more than £789,816,000. This figure represents an increase year on year of 15.89%. This means that fraudsters were frustrated in their attempts to steal £90,162 an hour during 2006, up from £77,802 in 2005.

Critical reading for security strategists? (Also seems to outline a number of potential legal journal articles or at least class papers.)

http://www.bespacific.com/mt/archives/013838.html

February 02, 2007

GAO Report on Health Information Technology

Health Information Technology: Early Efforts Initiated but Comprehensive Privacy Approach Needed for National Strategy, Full text GAO-07-400T, and Highlights, February 1, 2007: "GAO identified key challenges associated with protecting electronic personal health information in four areas."

Okay, it's a bit of a rant... That's why I like it!

http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=197003052

Shrinkwrap Licenses: An Epidemic Of Lawsuits Waiting To Happen

We mostly ignore the terms of shrinkwrap and clickwrap licenses, but pretty soon the lawyers are going to come sniffing around, says columnist Cory Doctorow.

By Cory Doctorow, InformationWeek Feb. 3, 2007

Anybody who bothered to read a clickwrap or shrinkwrap agreement would never install any software, click on any link on the Web, open an account with anyone, or even shop at many retail stores. The terms of these agreements are onerous and ridiculous. We go along with the gag because we think nobody's paying any attention. But somebody's going to start paying attention soon, and when they do, the results will be disastrous for the electronic economy.

Potential, but no answers. That's your job.

http://digg.com/tech_news/Web_2_0_Explained_Through_Inventive_Video

Web 2.0 Explained Through Inventive Video

The video titled, "Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/ing Us" was created by Michael Wesch, an Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University.

http://www.somewhatfrank.com/2007/02/video_explains_.html