Author: Rob Hamadi
ISBN No: 1 904132 49 9
Review date: 16/12/2025
No of pages: 241
Publisher: Vision Paperbacks
Year of publication:
Brief:
What is identity theft? how to prevent it, and what if it happens to you? are all questions for a book on ID theft.
At times, as in the chapter ‘how to steal an identity’ this book reads uncomfortably like a ‘how to’ guide. But identity theft can happen to anyone: a Professional Security reader, a business, or actor Will Smith (one of many little case studies). Indeed, the book looks at the United States as much as the UK. There is much for the security manager to pass on to non-security staff, notably the chapter on ‘social engineering’ that starts with the survey by organisers of the 2004 Infosecurity Europe exhibition. Most London commuters stopped in the street by bogus researchers gave away their password in return for a chocolate bar. The chapter whizzes you through pretext calls, phoney newspaper adverts to get your personal info; even phoney identity theft prevention services! A good book to dip into, that points out correctly that ID theft shades into frauds such as theft via cashpoint machines. And while some protection should be on-line, some is old-fashioned – if you move site, make sure you redirect your mail, and shred your rubbish.
