Trafford Publishing: Identity Theft: Preventing Consumer Terrorism: An Attitudinal Approach

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Identity Theft: Preventing Consumer Terrorism: An Attitudinal Approach

by Nathanael Whilk, Ph.D.

178 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #03-0213; ISBN 1-55395-850-0; US$19.95, C$28.95, EUR18.90, £13.10

The only source available providing insight into the nature of identity thieves, their methods, their targets and sources. This book provides explicit, step-by-step techniques to significantly reduce or eliminate your risk while maintaining your lifestyle.

Read more!

about the book about the author sample excerpts or Table of Contents catalogue info

About the Book
This is the only source available providing insight into the nature of identity thieves, their methods, their targets and sources. This book provides explicit, step-by-step techniques to significantly reduce or eliminate your risk while maintaining your lifestyle. It is a handbook that distills the topic into a compact and accessible form. This book is not available in bookstores or libraries. It is printed one-copy-at-a-time; only for those who care about their personal safety.

Learn to recognize when someone is trying to trick you into giving them your private information.

Learn what to say and what to do. How to turn the tables and collect your own information.

Configure your computer to prevent it from giving out your financial and personal information. Configure your thinking for the same results if you don't have a computer.

Learn how to safely strip identifying information from all major software and the registry. Change or eliminate the GUID (Global Universal ID). Grandma can do this!

Master the techniques of redirection and diversion.

Read what the Joint Military Intelligence College has to say.

Surf freely knowing that there is nothing for anyone to gain from you. No longer fear Cookies.

Master the techniques of shopping online.

Laugh at hackers, intruders, malicious software.

Prevent others with access to your computer from snooping.

All without reducing or harming the functionality of your computer or your Internet experience.

Written to reveal these concepts to anyone with or without a computer. The techniques are always the same. Identity Theft addresses the issues and more in modern terms.

CRITICALLY REVIEWED!
"In the United States, in particular, a country where, in place of using an identity card, they are identified throughout their lives with a Social Security Number. On receipts and bills and on the most valuable of records they are certified from birth to death. The fear of identity theft is becoming so great as to have convinced companies like Visa, Microsoft and Amazon to form a coalition to combat this online crime. This past September, a study completed on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission www.ftc.gov/os/2003/09/synovatereport.pdf estimated that 10 million Americans were victimized in the last year alone from this type of theft. Whereas the title How To Be Invisible (J.J.Luna, Dunne books, 2000) has been available for some time, today we introduce a published handbook that explains instead how to avoid having your own personal data usurped. This small volume (printed on demand) after explaining the precautions to take offline (e.g. a credit card transaction) reveals the inner workings of the Windows environment in order to eliminate every trace of information that could be stolen online by malcontents. The author, with coherence, published the book under a pseudonym and has asked us not to reveal his true identity."
Fabio Metitieri, 2003. Recensioni: libri, "Internet News", 9 (2003), n. 10 (novembre), p. 96. [Fabio Metitieriís c.v. is at http://xoomer.virgilio.it/fmetitie.
Please see the review at: www.viaprovenance.com/review

About the Author

Dr. Whilk has spent the last 20 years designing and implementing physical and virtual security systems for major corporations. For the last several years, "Doc" has specialized on the individual and on small businesses to provide these techniques to those who do not have the resources of the Fortune 500.

Please visit the author's web site at: www.viaprovenance.com

Sample Excerpts

Identity Theft: Preventing Consumer Terrorism: An Attitudinal Approach, addresses and integrates three typically separate topics: Your identity, terror, and your attitude. In order to do this as completely and concisely as possible, the following are covered in detail:

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
Caveat
Introduction
PART ONE: What are we protecting?

1. Concept of Property
2. Identity
3. Vital Records as Identifiers
4. Uses of Identification
5. Truth, Ethics, and Common Sense
6. NOYB/MOYB
7. Relativistic Ethics
PART TWO: How and Why.

8. Motive
9. Countermeasures and Techniques
10. Needs Assessment and Attitude
11. Doublespeak, Sense, and Nonsense
12. Neurolinguistic Programming
13. Data Collectors and Purveyors
14. Redirection
i
iii
iv
1

2
5
11
14
19
22
24
26

27
32
35
40
44
48
57
PART THREE: Plugging leaks.

15. Computer Attitude
16. Essentials and Maintenance
17. Nature of the Internet
18. Internet Preparation
19. Browsers and Email
20. Word processors and Spreadsheets
PART FOUR: Advanced Topics

21. Brief History of DOS and Windows
22. Discovery Utilities
22. Home Stretch

SUMMARY

APPENDICES

A-Economic Espionage Act of 1996
B-Basic Employment Agreement
C-Data Collector Contacts and Sample Letters

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX 61

62
66
74
79
104
122
125

126
128
136

139

141

142
149
153

158

162

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

INTRODUCTION

Everything has been thought of before, but the problem is to think of it again.
- Johann W. van Goethe

The Crimes They Are A Changin'
- Simon and Garfunckle, More or Less

Perhaps the best place to start is to explain what this book is not about. There are numerous books that discuss the problems of one's identity or personal information falling into the wrong hands. One only has to read a newspaper or listen to the radio or watch TV to understand that there are constant threats to our financial or legal well-being perpetrated by the less-than-honorable segment of our society. This is certainly not new. The threat of identity theft has become so great that Encompass Insurance has started offering Identity Fraud Insurance. The entire art of intelligence gathering, regardless of its purpose, is to learn what individuals, businesses, and governments value and wish to hold private. So much so, that, at the federal level, the concept and penalties of industrial espionage are well defined and codified in Economic Espionage and Protection of Propriety Information Act of 1996. This act many be cited as "The Espionage Act of 1996", reprinted in Appendix A, and worth understanding. A short research of the history of this topic will show that this activity is deeply rooted and well documented since the times of ancients: "And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly..." (Joshua 2:1a). Similar concepts hold at local, state, and federal levels but are most obvious in the private sectors where there are numerous forms of employee agreement that require protection and maintenance of business details as a condition of continued employment. If you have not seen such an agreement, as sample is included in Appendix B. (As laws vary from state to state, please seek counsel should you desire to introduce such a document into your business). These agreements generally protect only the employer and afford little or no protection of the employee's private information. Surprisingly, there appears to be little in favor of protecting individual privacy and personal property.

This book is not about how to use a computer or use the Internet. Again, there are many good computer references on the market and on the Internet, as well. I will, however, touch upon this topic as necessary to explain how to adjust your computer to keep what is yours to you. The Internet is certainly a world of information and a significant advance in Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Information, and speed of access over the last century. In fact, mindless surfing can and does turn up some of the most interesting and frequently disturbing information. I am not just talking about the "toilet bowl" aspect, but the fact that there are those who innocently make significant information available for all to see. The site, http://www.chateaumotel/form1/inforequest.txt is a case in point. It provides registration information for a major Pensacola, FL hotel. Names, addresses, phone numbers, arrival dates, email, etc. Hopefully, they have corrected their error and realized that the Internet is not a storage device but, rather, an extremely open forum. This is not an isolated example as a visit to capecodchamber.org/htm/images/bu.htm illustrates. The customers simply requested information through the site's on-line form that, incidentally, was not indicated as secure (user beware). Both the transmission and storage of the information is at risk. The only way to protect oneself from this breach is to call or write rather than use the on-line forms or email services. Hopefully, they will not take the time to manually enter your data for you. Or you can do what I do when inquiring prior to buying. Do not use a name or address or give any personal information. If really pressed, make it up as you go.

Gutenberg launched Freedom of Information with his printing of the Bible making it available to all who could read and afford it. Moveable type enhanced the ability to publish other materials. Electronic publishing on the PC eliminated the need for manual type setting, increased the variety of fonts and formats, and has virtually eliminated the time between the editor and the press. All are due to advances or enhancements in communications with the ultimate result being a reduction in cost and much greater availability in real terms to the masses. It is interesting to note that these advances correspond to the major classifications of the evolution of society: the renaissance, the agrarian economy, the industrial revolution, and so on. Each advance has been accompanied or started by a significant increase in the nature, use, and dissemination of information. And all have experienced problems understanding how to deal with the lesser elements of society who take unethical advantage of a new situation.

I am absolutely convinced that our continued economic prosperity and governmental stability is due in some part to the fact that almost everyone is aware of the operation of the US and its world interactions. There is a lessening of fear and surprise and, therefore, a lessening of rumor and overreaction. Rather than creating "facts" to explain the unknown and getting it wrong or making it wrong, we simply read and understand that everything is constantly adjusting and that the sky never falls very far. If we suspect that our press is overly biased we need only use the Internet to read what other cultures think. We now see that the stock market, for example, is driven more by popularity (the analyst's desires) than by fact. As long as a company is still profitable, the value of its stock will fluctuate because there are still some who react badly because they do not realize that the company, too, fluctuates. Every quarter will not be the same as any other quarter; some will be up, some will be down. No company can forever grow without sooner or later exceeding the GDP. You can certainly think of other examples in you life where knowledge reduces fear.

If this book is not about what can happen if you identity is usurped, and it is not about the Internet, then what? All of these are fascinating topics and I encourage you to study them. I have read a great deal about them and I always arrive at the same nagging thought: How do I keep my personal information to myself? All my research convinced me that the risk is enormous and real, yet none told me how to minimize my risk while still participating. That is what this book is about. It is about rights, about property, freedom of information; and about conditional, relativistic ethics. It is about our conditioning to tell the truth. It is about Freedom of the Press and about the Internet's ability to make your private information universally available at the speed of light. More to the point, this book is about changing personal to PRIVATE and "that there is no country in which everything can be provided for by the laws, or in which political institutions can prove a substitute for common sense and public morality." (Alexis De Tocqueville, "Democracy in America")

Catalogue Information

Read more!

about the book about the author sample excerpts or Table of Contents catalogue info

About the Book

This is the only source available providing insight into the nature of identity thieves, their methods, their targets and sources. This book provides explicit, step-by-step techniques to significantly reduce or eliminate your risk while maintaining your lifestyle. It is a handbook that distills the topic into a compact and accessible form. This book is not available in bookstores or libraries. It is printed one-copy-at-a-time; only for those who care about their personal safety.

Learn to recognize when someone is trying to trick you into giving them your private information.

Learn what to say and what to do. How to turn the tables and collect your own information.

Configure your computer to prevent it from giving out your financial and personal information. Configure your thinking for the same results if you don't have a computer.

Learn how to safely strip identifying information from all major software and the registry. Change or eliminate the GUID (Global Universal ID). Grandma can do this!

Master the techniques of redirection and diversion.

Read what the Joint Military Intelligence College has to say.

Surf freely knowing that there is nothing for anyone to gain from you. No longer fear Cookies.

Master the techniques of shopping online.

Laugh at hackers, intruders, malicious software.

Prevent others with access to your computer from snooping.

All without reducing or harming the functionality of your computer or your Internet experience.

Written to reveal these concepts to anyone with or without a computer. The techniques are always the same. Identity Theft, addresses the issues and more in modern terms.

About the Author

Dr. Whilk has spent the last 20 years designing and implementing physical and virtual security systems for major corporations. For the last several years, "Doc" has specialized on the individual and on small businesses to provide these techniques to those who do not have the resources of the Fortune 500.

Sample Excerpts

Identity Theft: Preventing Consumer Terrorism: An Attitudinal Approach, addresses and integrates three typically separate topics: Your identity, terror, and your attitude. In order to do this as completely and concisely as possible, the following are covered in detail:

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
Caveat
Introduction
PART ONE: What are we protecting?

1. Concept of Property
2. Identity
3. Vital Records as Identifiers
4. Uses of Identification
5. Truth, Ethics, and Common Sense
6. NOYB/MOYB
7. Relativistic Ethics
PART TWO: How and Why.

8. Motive
9. Countermeasures and Techniques
10. Needs Assessment and Attitude
11. Doublespeak, Sense, and Nonsense
12. Neurolinguistic Programming
13. Data Collectors and Purveyors
14. Redirection
i
iii
iv
1

2
5
11
14
19
22
24
26

27
32
35
40
44
48
57
PART THREE: Plugging leaks.

15. Computer Attitude
16. Essentials and Maintenance
17. Nature of the Internet
18. Internet Preparation
19. Browsers and Email
20. Word processors and Spreadsheets
PART FOUR: Advanced Topics

21. Brief History of DOS and Windows
22. Discovery Utilities
22. Home Stretch

SUMMARY

APPENDICES

A-Economic Espionage Act of 1996
B-Basic Employment Agreement
C-Data Collector Contacts and Sample Letters

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX 61

62
66
74
79
104
122
125

126
128
136

139

141

142
149
153

158

162

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

INTRODUCTION

Everything has been thought of before, but the problem is to think of it again.
- Johann W. van Goethe

The Crimes They Are A Changin'
- Simon and Garfunckle, More or Less

Perhaps the best place to start is to explain what this book is not about. There are numerous books that discuss the problems of one's identity or personal information falling into the wrong hands. One only has to read a newspaper or listen to the radio or watch TV to understand that there are constant threats to our financial or legal well-being perpetrated by the less-than-honorable segment of our society. This is certainly not new. The threat of identity theft has become so great that Encompass Insurance has started offering Identity Fraud Insurance. The entire art of intelligence gathering, regardless of its purpose, is to learn what individuals, businesses, and governments value and wish to hold private. So much so, that, at the federal level, the concept and penalties of industrial espionage are well defined and codified in Economic Espionage and Protection of Propriety Information Act of 1996. This act many be cited as "The Espionage Act of 1996", reprinted in Appendix A, and worth understanding. A short research of the history of this topic will show that this activity is deeply rooted and well documented since the times of ancients: "And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly..." (Joshua 2:1a). Similar concepts hold at local, state, and federal levels but are most obvious in the private sectors where there are numerous forms of employee agreement that require protection and maintenance of business details as a condition of continued employment. If you have not seen such an agreement, as sample is included in Appendix B. (As laws vary from state to state, please seek counsel should you desire to introduce such a document into your business). These agreements generally protect only the employer and afford little or no protection of the employee's private information. Surprisingly, there appears to be little in favor of protecting individual privacy and personal property.

This book is not about how to use a computer or use the Internet. Again, there are many good computer references on the market and on the Internet, as well. I will, however, touch upon this topic as necessary to explain how to adjust your computer to keep what is yours to you. The Internet is certainly a world of information and a significant advance in Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Information, and speed of access over the last century. In fact, mindless surfing can and does turn up some of the most interesting and frequently disturbing information. I am not just talking about the "toilet bowl" aspect, but the fact that there are those who innocently make significant information available for all to see. The site, http://www.chateaumotel/form1/inforequest.txt is a case in point. It provides registration information for a major Pensacola, FL hotel. Names, addresses, phone numbers, arrival dates, email, etc. Hopefully, they have corrected their error and realized that the Internet is not a storage device but, rather, an extremely open forum. This is not an isolated example as a visit to capecodchamber.org/htm/images/bu.htm illustrates. The customers simply requested information through the site's on-line form that, incidentally, was not indicated as secure (user beware). Both the transmission and storage of the information is at risk. The only way to protect oneself from this breach is to call or write rather than use the on-line forms or email services. Hopefully, they will not take the time to manually enter your data for you. Or you can do what I do when inquiring prior to buying. Do not use a name or address or give any personal information. If really pressed, make it up as you go.

Gutenberg launched Freedom of Information with his printing of the Bible making it available to all who could read and afford it. Moveable type enhanced the ability to publish other materials. Electronic publishing on the PC eliminated the need for manual type setting, increased the variety of fonts and formats, and has virtually eliminated the time between the editor and the press. All are due to advances or enhancements in communications with the ultimate result being a reduction in cost and much greater availability in real terms to the masses. It is interesting to note that these advances correspond to the major classifications of the evolution of society: the renaissance, the agrarian economy, the industrial revolution, and so on. Each advance has been accompanied or started by a significant increase in the nature, use, and dissemination of information. And all have experienced problems understanding how to deal with the lesser elements of society who take unethical advantage of a new situation.

I am absolutely convinced that our continued economic prosperity and governmental stability is due in some part to the fact that almost everyone is aware of the operation of the US and its world interactions. There is a lessening of fear and surprise and, therefore, a lessening of rumor and overreaction. Rather than creating "facts" to explain the unknown and getting it wrong or making it wrong, we simply read and understand that everything is constantly adjusting and that the sky never falls very far. If we suspect that our press is overly biased we need only use the Internet to read what other cultures think. We now see that the stock market, for example, is driven more by popularity (the analyst's desires) than by fact. As long as a company is still profitable, the value of its stock will fluctuate because there are still some who react badly because they do not realize that the company, too, fluctuates. Every quarter will not be the same as any other quarter; some will be up, some will be down. No company can forever grow without sooner or later exceeding the GDP. You can certainly think of other examples in you life where knowledge reduces fear.

If this book is not about what can happen if you identity is usurped, and it is not about the Internet, then what? All of these are fascinating topics and I encourage you to study them. I have read a great deal about them and I always arrive at the same nagging thought: How do I keep my personal information to myself? All my research convinced me that the risk is enormous and real, yet none told me how to minimize my risk while still participating. That is what this book is about. It is about rights, about property, freedom of information; and about conditional, relativistic ethics. It is about our conditioning to tell the truth. It is about Freedom of the Press and about the Internet's ability to make your private information universally available at the speed of light. More to the point, this book is about changing personal to PRIVATE and "that there is no country in which everything can be provided for by the laws, or in which political institutions can prove a substitute for common sense and public morality." (Alexis De Tocqueville, "Democracy in America")

Catalogue Information