Privacy, security expert gives exclusive first look at new book
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- One of the nation's foremost authorities on privacy and security has a new book coming out and he has given 7 On Your Side an exclusive first look.
Adam Levin is known as the co-founder of Credit.com and founder of Identity Theft 911.
He also headed up the New Jersey division of Consumer Affairs, so when he says it is time to change our thinking about privacy and security, it is worth considering.
It seems weekly that we report about hacking and privacy concerns.
Greg Hahn was telling his story while working on his wife Andrea's computer. Hackers had gained access.
Hahn figured out how to undo the damage and, luckily, there were no viruses left behind.
Levin says this is just the type of incident we have to stop thinking of as isolated and instead think of it like we do death and taxes.
"Breaches have become the third certainty in life and that we all have day jobs. But for identity thieves, we are their day job. An incredibly lucrative one at that," he said.
His new book, "Swiped," is scheduled to be released on Black Friday and is an overview of Scammers, identity thieves and how to deal with their inevitable attacks.
"Minimize your risk of exposure, monitor as best you can through a variety of different ways and then manage the damage. Have a damage control program," Levin advised.
He said media scare tactics aren't working, that the message is too vague. Then he gave 7 On Your Side an example of why we should care about medical identity theft.
"They talk about medical identity theft, but they don't really make you understand the fact that your medical insurance could be significantly damaged. That your life could be put in jeopardy because the information of the thief or his or her customer could be comingled with your information in a medical file - blood types disappear, allergies disappear. Your life could be in jeopardy," he said.
In "Swiped," Levin outlines more than 50 scams and how you can fight back.
