Experts offer tips against computer and identity theft
As protection against the growing problem of identity theft, members of the BU Medical Center community are urged to store notebook computers safely and securely when not in use.
Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America today, according to Paul Stone, MA, investigator, Department of Public Safety at BU Medical Center.
“The identity thief is constantly in search of personal information to be used in the pursuit of unlawful monetary gain,” said Stone. Personal information retrieved from credit cards, driver’s licenses, merchandise returned without receipt and, more recently, e-mail schemes are the most popular methods of surreptitious solicitation of personal data.
In cooperation with the Information Services and Facilities departments, BUMC’s Department of Public Safety has worked to safeguard computerized personal information of the community by installing locking mechanisms on personal computers in most reception areas.
“However, the increasingly popular notebook computer is more difficult to protect,” noted Stone, “and theft of this type of computer equipment, which is more easily concealed by a thief and most often sold quickly ‘on the street’ for cash, remains a serious problem for law enforcement.”
Approximately 6,000 personal computers are in operation throughout the medical campus. To physically protect computer equipment and prevent its unauthorized use, Stone offers the following advice:
o Whenever away from your work station, log off from the program(s) in use
o During an extended absence, particularly at the end of the day, shut down the computer
o Protect passwords by keeping the information in a location unlikely to be found by an intruder
o Keep a record of the computer’s serial number or service tag number
Additionally, Stone reminds the BUMC community that accessing a computer system without authorization is a crime in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as a violation of BUMC policy. To report instances of unauthorized access, call (617) 638-4444 or 414-4444.
