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Calling for Accountability of the Federal Trade Commission

If you didn't already know, I'm pretty mad at the FTC. Though ID theft has been the top consumer complaint for the last 6 years running, though they have put a large amount of resources into their consumer education campaign (on their anti-ID theft website for example), though the chairwoman of the FTC, Deborah Platt Majoras, co-chaired the Presidential ID Theft Taskforce, they have completely failed to educate customers about Credit Security Freezes. I sent a member of the FTC's media relations department an e-mail requesting to know how the FTC is doing their job if they won't promote credit freezes, but, of course, I got no reply. Therefore, I'm going to see what happens if I contact the Government Accountability Office instead. Their job is to report any agency that is wasting tax-payer money right? So this should be right up their alley. Here's the e-mail I sent them:
To whom it may concern, I am a computer security professional who has worked to bring more attention to the ID theft issue and viable solutions to the problem. I have long been frustrated that the Federal Trade Commission has failed to propose or recommend the one most valuable tool in combating ID theft that there is. Credit Security Freezes, which have been enacted in many states, allow customers to lock their credit files under a special code or password that only the consumer knows. Once frozen, anyone who would attempt ID theft (in situations that require a credit check) would fail no matter how much of the consumer's personal information that the thief has. Freezes are fast, simple, effective, low cost, and provide peace of mind. The only people who don't want to see this in action are the credit reporting companies themselves who make millions by selling the information they gather to as many people as they can, thief or otherwise. But the question wasn't "how can we keep credit reporting company's profit lines intact", it's "how can we curb or eliminate ID theft". My point in contacting you is that the FTC is well aware of how important Freezes are, but does not include much (if any) information on them on the FTC's website or in their training and public education efforts. Further, the presidential ID theft task force co-chaired by the chairwoman of the FTC included a very small negatively worded summary of Freezes as being something that would be more likely to "inconvenience the consumer". The FTC is wasting millions of dollars, wasting our time, and not doing their job by ignoring this simple solution to what has been the top consumer complaint for the last 6 years (and counting). Please let me know if your agency has authority to call them to task for their unconscionable waste of money and efforts and, if not, please let me know who does. Thank you for your time. Jeremy Duffy CISSP
2007 Oct 09 No response. Not that I'm surprised.

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Security Software

Make sure you have a up-to-date Anti-Virus Program to protect you against bad websites or files.
Sometimes spyware gets in your computer and the anti-virus won't stop it. Use a spyware scanner to find and remove spyware and adware.
Use a software firewall to detect bad code on your computer when it tries to connect to the Internet.
Always keep your system up to date with security patches or none of the rest of your security software will matter.
Use an encryption tool to protect your important data when storing or transmitting it.
Switch to Firefox for your web browsing and you'll be better protected from Internet threats.

Safe Computing Practices

Don't get tricked by fake alerts or clever webpages into downloading viruses or spyware!

... or check out any of my other guides and tutorials by clicking here!

Anti-Virus

A virus can come from files, e-mails, web pages, or even devices you plug in (like thumbdrives or printers) and destroy your files or your computer once they get in. An anti-virus is software designed to detect and prevent that from happening.

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Spyware Scanners

Learn how to detect and remove spyware and adware using a free scanning tool.

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Software Firewall

Learn what a firewall is and why you want one on your computer.

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Operating System Updates

Make sure to keep your operating system up-to-date with security patches or else none of the rest of your security software will be able to protect you.

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File Encryption

Learn how to protect your important files on your computer or when transmitting them with free tools for file encryption.

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Mozilla Firefox - Internet Browser

There are many browser choices out there. Read why I think Firefox is one of the best.

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Fake Alerts

Maybe you've done everything right and you're computer is sufficiently fortress-like, but then you or someone in your family falls for a simple scam that tricks them into directly installing the bad guy's virus! Learn how to spot and ignore fakes!

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