Chaotic intersections
February 26, 2007
Chaos comes in all forms. Here are some of the traffic routing brainchilds of urban planners.
TJ Maxx, Marshalls customer data exposed
February 21, 2007
TJX is the parent company for popular discount retailer T.J. Maxx and Marshalls clothing stores. A follow-up on the story announced in January…
According to News.com: T.J. Maxx probe finds broader hacking
Information on millions of TJX customers may have been exposed in the long-running attack, which was made public last month. It affects customers of any of TJX store in the U.S., Canada or Puerto Rico, with the exception of its Bob’s Stores chain.
TJX said credit and debit card data from January 2003 through June 2004 was compromised.
TJX also found that there was evidence of intrusion into the system that handles customer transactions for its T.K. Maxx stores in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
In addition to these exposures, TJX said there were more breaches of driver’s license information than it previously thought. These included the license numbers, names and addresses of customers making merchandise returns in the U.S. and Puerto Rico locations of T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods stores.
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Article: Identity theft risk greatest in major cities
February 14, 2007
News.com reports: Identity theft risk greatest in major cities
“Residents of New York, Detroit and Los Angeles are the most at risk of having their identity stolen, according to new research.” Other states with low rates of identity related fraud are Wyoming, Vermont and Montana.
“Moving is a very dramatic way to reduce your identity risk. It is more appropriate for people to understand the risk of their area and to take the appropriate precautions.”
I’m a bit leary to believe this is entirely true. Consider the far-reaching nature of electronic identity theft. Consumer Bob could live in Wyoming and use his credit card with a company based in New York. If that company falls victim to losing their consumer data files to a thief, Bob in Wyoming is a risk just like anyone else.
Another scenario. Black hat Ted in Los Angeles calls Vermont Martha and manages to con (”social engineer”) info — social security number, checking account number, etc. — out of her over the phone. Ted can then use that info to portray Martha, open a credit card, ship to another address, etc.
My point… Don’t falsely believe that your safe anywhere you live. Take precautions and be vigilant to guard against bad behavior.
-Roland
