Thin Client Technology, Laptops and Identity Theft
By John Young

The Laptop Theft Epidemic

Possibly one of the most terrifying thefts that can happen to you is the theft of your laptop. Whether it’s your own personal computer, or a company computer you’ve taken along on a business trip, your laptop holds unaccountable information that probably you yourself don’t even know is there. A lot of information is in the form of passwords and web url’s that give a thief access to anything from your bank account numbers to your credit card statements, Federal and State tax forms, and that Holy Grail of all Holy Grails — your Social Security Number. Data on your computer is, of course, fully accessible to the thief.

According to Laptop Theft Resources, 20% of Data Breaches in 2008 were due to laptop theft.

Beyond the personal nightmare

But beyond the personal nightmare of having your own identity stolen comes information about your clients, either of your personal business or the company you may be working for. Recent horror stories include stolen laptops from insurance companies that keep the personal data of 10′s of thousands of clients. These have been stolen from employees who took the computer out of the office to do some work at home.

It’s estimated that an ordinary notebook contains $972,000 dollars worth of sensitive information and some could store over eight million dollars. Theft of a laptop makes up over 54% of all Identity Theft incidents and since 2005, there have been more than 150 million data breaches resulting in Identity Theft (Absolute Software). Yet, there seems to be an unaccountable apathy toward laptop theft. Starbucks, for example, reported in 2008 a theft that involved 97000 unencrypted records, social security numbers, and passwords but according to Laptop Theft Resources, media response was minimal, and the public seemed uninterested.

The Thin Client Solution to Identity Theft

By placing the lion’s share of information on a remote server and gaining access to it by strongly encrypted passwords, a thin client laptop effectively puts all the information processed by it out of the ID thief’s reach. The theft of a laptop would then involve only the hardware involved, and since a thin client’s value is only $500 – $600 (or less) this represents a much lower loss than a fully equipped laptop which can run well over $2000. And with modern theft recovery services such as LOJACK, the thin client can be easily recovered.

So why isn’t there a high demand for thin client laptops?

Little Demand for Thin Client Laptops?

So far, consideration of thin client technology has been pretty much limited to the Corporation. Consumers seem to have little demand for it. Several reasons might account for this: 1) Consumers want all of their software, data, and storage under their direct control. 2)The infrastructure is not yet fully developed. Google is working on the back end services necessary for thin client solutions. 3)The “airplane solution” has not yet been fully worked out. This solution would enable you to work on your data in places where access to the Internet is not available. 4) Wireless networks need to improve in band width and security. 5) Security of the remote servers and databases would have to be absolute and not hackable. Hacking into remote systems would be far more devastating than the theft of a single laptop. Instead of exposing 96000 people to Identity Theft, conceivably 100 million could be exposed once the system becomes universally accepted.

Is There a Future for Thin Client Notebooks?

Perhaps, though, the main hindrance to consumer acceptance of thin client laptops is apathy toward Identity Theft. In spite of the daily horror stories appearing in newspapers and on the Internet, we seem to cling to the attitude that “it happened to the other guy but it can’t happen to me”. Nothing could be farther from the truth, but until we as consumers really face the fact that any one of us can become victims at any time, we won’t really be willing to overcome our aversion to complete control, and possession, of all of our data on our personal computers.

Data can be made absolutely secure on a remote server; we have the technology for that. With that in mind, it becomes obvious that thin client laptops are the ultimate answer to laptop Identity Theft. But will we all someday be processing our data remotely, when a laptop theft involves the theft of hardware only? Will that day come?

It depends… It depends on you and me, and whether we are willing to take the step to the new paradigm of having our data and processing power located on a remote computer, not in our direct possession. We need first to recognize that Identity Theft is a horror that can indeed happen to us, and make whatever changes are necessary to prevent it. Secondly, we need to realize that the data we think is under our control can easily fall into the hands of a thief and will NO LONGER be in our possession.

Then we will be ready for “thin client” laptops.

Your Identity Stolen (http://www.youridentitystolen.com) is an online magazine devoted to publishing articles on Identity Theft and to provide information and resources for those who may have fallen victim to this crime epidemic.

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Keeping Kids Safe on MySpace
By Scott Fish

There are a lot of teens who are using MySpace. Individuals over the age of 14 are eligible to use MySpace so as a result there are many teenagers who are members of the online MySpace community. These young members may appreciate the opportunity to express their creativity, express their feelings, meet new friends or stay in touch with their old friends but they should also be aware that there is the potential for danger on any Internet community. Making kids aware of this is helpful but there is also a certain degree of parental involvement which is necessary to keep kids safe when they are online.

Enforcing Household Internet Rules

Kids who use MySpace, or the Internet in general, should be restricted to a few household rules regarding Internet usage. Putting these rules in place can be very helpful in reducing the potential for danger. Some of the general Internet rules parents might consider are:

* Do not post full name and address online or even school location. This will help to prevent stalking which could become a problem if online predators know where your child lives or go to school.

* Restrict Internet usage to specific hours during the day. This can prevent overuse of the Internet.

* Do not agree to meet online friends in person without consent. Ideally the parents should also accompany their children on these meetings and should ensure the meetings take place in a well lit, public location such as a coffee shop as opposed to a secluded spot such as an individual’s home.

* Do not respond to threats or harassment. Kids should be taught to ignore this type of behavior and report these instances to parents or the Internet service provider instead of responding to the threats. Responding to threats or harassing messages can exacerbate a potentially harmful situation.

* Internet usage should be restricted to high traffic locations in the house. For example kids should only be allowed to use the Internet in computers which are in locations such as the family room or kitchen as opposed to allowing kids Internet access in their bedrooms.

Monitoring Online Interactions

Parents whose children have a MySpace account should monitor their child’s online interactions on a regular basis to ensure these interactions are not potentially harmful. Parents should be particularly concerned when children are interacting with older individuals who engage in activities which are not appropriate for the child’s age or when the children are interacting with those who might be a negative influence on the child.

Parents should also be aware that those their child is interacting with may not be honest about their identity. For example a parent may think it is harmless for their 15 year old daughter to engage in flirtatious banter with a 16 year old boy but there is the possibility that her online friend is really a much older individual. Parents should monitor these activities for suspicious behavior or suggestions of meeting in person.

Reviewing the Terms of Service

Finally, parents who want to keep their kid safe on MySpace should familiarize themselves with the online community as well as the terms of service and privacy policy. This will give the parents a better idea of the type of activities their children are engaging in and being exposed to as well as the safety precautions which are in place to help you protect your child.

Scott Fish is the owner of 401k Account Management |
Retirement Community

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