Senator John Pippy
Monthly Column for Upper St. Clair Magazine

There's no doubting it: computers make life easier; for us and for thieves.

The ability to store vast amounts of information and move it across the country and the globe in seconds makes it easier to shop and do business, research topics, and connect with others. Of course, this same ability is often exploited by the kind of hustlers, hucksters and con artists who have been ripping off honest people since the earliest days of commerce.

Modern scammers use the Internet to hijack personal information in order to raid bank accounts, steal credit cards and secure other sources of easy money. Preventing this kind of ID theft requires a combination of awareness on the part of computer users and laws that establish consumer protections.

First, the laws. We're working on several bills in the General Assembly to give computer users and law enforcement the tools they need to prevent ID theft and prosecute such thieves.

The Senate passed legislation that requires owners of computerized data to disclose any breach of their system's security to individuals whose personal information may have been accessed or acquired by unauthorized persons.

A bill that would prohibit any person, business or state agency from making a Social Security number available to the public was approved by the Senate. It would also prohibit the transmission of Social Security numbers over the Internet unless the connection is secure or the information is encrypted.

The Senate approved a measure that would make it a crime to distribute "spyware" to a computer without the user's consent or knowledge. Spyware is a term for a computer program that gathers information through the user's Internet connection and transmits it to a third party. This information, which includes passwords and personal identification numbers, can be used to commit fraud.

The Senate passed legislation that would protect the privacy of cell phone users. The measure would require any cell phone company operating in the Commonwealth with a subscriber directory to have the express consent of the subscriber before including their name and number in the directory.

The Senate also passed a bill that would require the state Office of Victim's Services to cooperate with other Commonwealth and law enforcement agencies to ensure that victims of identity theft receive the appropriate information to assist them with the resolution of any financial issues arising from the commission of the crime. Also, the state Victim's Services Advisory Committee would be expanded to include a member who represents the interests of victims of identity theft.

Of course, laws can only do so much. We all have to take precautions when we go online or share our personal information with an organization.

Know the company you're dealing with. Many businesses have policies of not asking for private information via email.

Check the URL any email that is supposedly from a trusted company. Online scammers will often make subtle changes to the domain name to lure you to their site.

Practice safe browsing. If you aren't sure whether an email is legitimate, open a new window, browse to the company's site, and input your information there.

Computers and the Internet are wonderful things. We can hardly keep up with the developments they bring. Laws, too, are trying to keep up. As criminals develop new ways to exploit technology for dishonest means, governments have to enact laws to stop them in their tracks.

With the right laws, and some common sense, we'll be able to use computer technology to improve our lives and society, while making it harder for con artists to steal personal information.

###

Senator John Pippy Monthly Column for Upper St. Clair Magazine

Senator John Pippy
Monthly Column for Upper St. Clair Magazine