03-20-2003

Financial Security no longer just means money in the bank and money coming in every month. It no longer just means equity assets and investments. Now financial security means the protection of these assets and protection of personal credit ratings and identity data.

Mike Bryant, owner of CreditProtectionServices.com, says it has become too easy for fairly knowledgeable computer hackers to obtain personal financial data. The recent surge on online services and networked systems has created an un-secure environment for data theft and manipulation by internet hackers and organized crime. “I find it shocking to hear and see the measures being taken by Government and private industry to secure computer systems and data. There are estimates from secure governmental departments, insurance companies, HMO's, Banks, large investments firms and other vital organizations that on average there is an attempted intrusion on their systems by hackers about every minute of the day 24/7. These intruders range from viruses to novice hackers to sophisticated criminal elements. The amount of time and money being spent to secure these systems has become a full time industry and is running into the tens of millions of dollars annually. Donald Rumsfeld, in a recent speech to the Department of Defense (DoD), stated that we are in a new security environment like that which we have never scene….and we are not ready to meet the demand for increased security. His concerns addressed not only our military security but the need for electronic security on the home front as well.”

Protecting one’s personal credit and identity has spawned a virtually new industry within itself, created by the increased crimes of credit fraud and id theft. Bryant says “at the rate things are going one in ten people in the US may be affected by these crimes within the next five years. It is reaching epidemic levels. Deterrence and early detection are your only options to safeguard your credit rating and everyone needs to take preventative action as soon as possible. The average consumer is being targeted for credit fraud and identity theft mostly by organized crime because it is very difficult to get caught. Credit Fraud and Identity Theft have become a new form of guerilla warfare on the home front. I ask people every day; Is your Credit Safe?”