When ID Theft hits home!

G'day Everyone!

Well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out my day was going to get worse. Earlier today, I was talking with a fellow blogger that we thought about NTID's situation of the stolen laptop that contained the personal info may or may not hit on the NTID alumni community. We were thinking of revising our posts.

Following the pick up from today's mail that came with a PERSONAL letter from Alan Hurwitz, President of NTID. It became very real and confirmed that I have become one of the 12,700 students who's personal confidential data that was on the STOLEN laptop!!

Unfortunately, Alan's letter did little to comfort me of what's happened in the NTID situation. They should have moved FASTER than waiting 5 days after the theft! Investigation or not, this is serious! As the letter reads it's date of August 29th, and that the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle Newspapers hits out on August 30th. It is like they have waited for 5 full days and letting the person who's done the theft have a 5 day head start with our personal information.

You know, while NTID has come out and posted on their web page, as listed on deaf read,
http://www.ntid.rit.edu/media/full_text.php?article_id=759 (the info is as of August 30th, Saturday), The orangeandbrown coalition hasn't said anything, which they have been quiet since July 28th.

Yet, this is the most serious breach of trust that has happened in NTID. For 40 years, they have names of every one who's applied, been there, and graduated from NTID. Why, in God's name was personal info stored on a laptop? Why wasn't that important data stored in a *SECURED ROOM*?

It only takes ONE stupid idiot person to get careless with security. One idiot to get careless with his office. It is my demand that NTID should FIRE that person responsible for being careless with his office and having an unsecured computer equipment. I'm sure this employee knows his/her time has ended at NTID the moment the laptop was GONE.

From what I can tell you, some of personal information is already being used by this thief as that person hasn't wasted time. According to one friend of mine, she's gotten a notice in a mail that a new bank account was opened in her name but wrong SS#. It just boggles the mind! It goes right back to lack of time that NTID waited and gave this person time to his dirty job.

Well, to the heart of this post: Any person among the 12,700 or whatever it is, gets an official looking letter from NTID, should NOT DELAY. Take prompt action IMMEDIATELY.

1. Call your credit card companies and have them put a FRAUD ALERT status on your account.
2. Call your bank. Have them put a note in your file to ask for your identification. If you bank on the web, have your bank put a secure status alert on your account.
3. most important of all call one of the 3 MAJOR CREDIT bureaus :

Equifax: 1-877-576-5734; www.equifax.com
Experian: 1-888-397-3742; www.experian.com/fraud
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com
When you talk to them, ask that they put a "FRAUD ALERT" on your account. It may be good for 90 days but consider to renew it.

Also, you can go to www.freecreditreport.com as well to order a free credit report.

In everything said: NTID should have taken stronger security measures BEFORE this happened. Right now, confidence among the NTID alumni and students will be harder to restore. When this person is caught with this laptop, mark my words: I will be one of the many to sue this person for stealing this information. For the next 40 years, NTID is going to have to win back every one's confidence that their data is safe and secured.

As I said before the world has changed. Nothing should be taken for granted any more.

Semper FI.