Happy Thanksgiving!

2008 has been a busy year so far regarding identity theft and data breaches:

• A major data breach at the Bank of New York Mellon,
• We learned about whaling and sidejacking,
• 8 out 10 Americans are worried about identity theft,
• Wachovia Bank paid a huge fine for conspiring with fraudulent telemarketers,
• We learned that all of the big-3 credit bureaus perform offshore outsourcing,
• Suze Orman's Identity Theft Kit debuted,
• A class-action lawsuit was filed against Facebook and its Beacon affiliates,
• A Dallas school system made up fake Social Security Numbers for undocumented foreign workers it hired,
• The FTC delayed enforcement of its Red Flag Rules designed to help corporations protect our sensitive personal data,
• The Pentagon admitted to a massive data breach,
• We learned that most corporate data breaches are due to carelessness and incompetence,
• Experian sued Lifelock,
• During Congressional hearings, several ISPs admitted to behavioral advertising programs without getting their customers' consent,

And of course... we all experienced the huge decline in the stock market and our retirement savings. On the plus side, we elected a new President and the Age of Conversation 2008 book was published with a chapter by yours truly. There is always something to be thankful for.

I'd like to wish all I've Been Mugged readers a safe, enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday and long weekend. I'm taking a much-needed break. Posts will resume on Monday December 1st.

Comments

[John Taylor]

Hey George,
you too! It's been very cool reading your column. I have learned a great deal and been entertained. I hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday. Take the day off, put your feet up eat and watch ball. Have a fat turkey sandwich, then wash the dishes.

John