by Adam Bowman
On Sept. 18, three local newspapers received manila envelopes. The envelopes contained; fax reports, student tests, Social Security numbers, credit card applications and a letter about where the information came from. The kind of personal student information an identity thief could use to steal a student's identity. The letter said the math department tossed the information in dumpsters behind Snow Hall.
“I believe the University should protect student information at all costs,” said Michael Ivanuska, Overland Park, sophomore. “There is no excuse.” But students aren’t protecting themselves from identity theft.
Spenser Linares, Wichita, sophomore, said he is worried about identity theft because it is seemed like a common occurrence. “What can you do about the school misusing your information?” said Linares. “You have to give it to them to attend class.”
Sophos, a world leader in Information Technology security, did a study showing students are misusing their own information. The company created a Facebook profile and then sent out 200 friend requests. Many of the friend requests were accepted. 41 percent of the requests gave personal information. Information like birthdays, pet names and addresses were freely given out to a complete stranger. There are 35,043 people in the University of Kansas Facebook network.
Emily Chadwick, Hutchinson, graduate student, says she has a Facebook account with a few hundred friends. A dozen of those Facebook friends were made directly through Facebook.
Sally Campbell, Lawrence, sophomore said she has a Facebook account and she isn’t really concerned with identity theft. She doesn’t buy online and she always logs off of her computer. But she says her student id number is all over campus. “I use it for midterms, blue books, essays and to apply for jobs online,” said Campbell.
Most students interviewed seemed only worried about where they used their Social Security number. Jeff Peckover, Winona Minn., sophomore, said he does the things that everyone tells you to do to protect his identity. “Don’t use your Social Security number on Web sites. Know who your giving it to.”
On the Kyou Portal login page of the KU Web site, if a student forgot his or her password, there are a couple of quick steps one must do to reset their lost or forgotten password. First he or she must enter an online ID and click on “forgot password”. Next the user enters their student ID number and birth date. The user must answer a privacy question to get over the final hurdle in security. This is usually something as simple as listing a birthplace or a pet name. From there password can be changed. Or an identity thief who has been collecting information about the user could change his or her password and access all of their school information, including their Social Security number. Most of this information, except the student ID number, is something that could be gathered through casual chatting on Facebook.
The Federal Trade Commission Web site defined identity theft as the use of a person’s personally identifying information to commit fraud or other crimes. The FTC estimated that nine million Americans have their identities stolen each year. The Web site said victims of identity theft could lose job opportunities. They could also be denied loans for education, housing or cars because of negative credit reports. In rare cases, people have been arrested for crimes they did not commit.
Since the incident, Richard Laviere, provost of the University, sent E-mails through the KU Web site, notifying the University about the schools privacy policy. The math department also added 14 secure shredding bins that are controlled by an outside contractor.
Students interviewed however, hadn’t made any changes to their identity protection practices. Jeff Peckover and Spenser Linares said they haven’t taken any extra precautions.
Both Evan Prellbereg, Chicago, sophomore and Sally Campbell say they aren’t really concerned with identity theft even though they both have Facebook accounts.
Stacey Bjorgaard, Kansas City, sophomore, said that she didn’t hear about the leak of private student information from the math department. She said she’s not sure if she is worried about identity theft. “Maybe I should be,” Bjogaard said.
“Identity Theft in Colleges” posted on identity-theft-faq.com said college students made ideal targets for identity predators. The article said identity theft on college campuses accounted for nearly 31 percent of all identity theft cases each year. Students usually had good credit, making it worthwhile to steal their identity. College is a busy time in a person’s life and their identity is one of the last things on his or her mind.
The FTC Web site said an effective tool to prevent identity theft is awareness. Jane Rosenthal, privacy coordinator and custodian of records at the University, said the school is working on identity theft prevention education. But she offers these helpful tips: Students certainly shouldn’t share passwords. Students should be aware of their mail. Solicitation mail, especially credit card applications, should be shredded and not just tossed out. Students need to be concerned with laptops, PDAs and cell phones and treat them like a purse or wallet. Students should encrypt the information on them and lock them out when not in use.
“Students are adults and should be responsible for their choices,” said Rosenthal. “Having said that however, the University can take a lead roll in educating them in all facets to help them grow into a full life.”
If students have questions about identity theft and how to protect themselves, Rosenthal encourages them to E-mail privacy@ku.edu. Or check out the privacy office Web site.
Hiya! Let go of my purse!
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