If you don't know how many data breaches have occurred within the past few years, you must be living under a rock. From the Veterans Administration to TJ Maxx (one of the largest consumer leaks ever) and from hospitals to corporations, security breaches have compromised many American identities. Privacy Rights Clearinghouse reports that more than 150 publicly reported data breaches occurred between February 2005 and March 2006 alone, putting the personal information of more than 54 million Americans at risk.
Although veterans, shoppers, patients and employees have demanded more privacy protection, federal legislation can prove ineffectual unless data wasn't secured sufficiently. States have stepped in, but they've passed privacy laws that represent mere patchwork solutions to an international problem. In addition, technological advances have expanded potential for data to be used and compromised by legitimate companies and in underground chat rooms. How can you protect yourself from personal data exposure?
The following information will help you to discover whether your personal data has been compromised in the first place. If it has, you'll find more information about what to do to correct the problem - if anything needs to be done - and ways to protect yourself in the future.
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