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Your Kids’ Personal Info May Have Been Compromised

By May 26, 2018June 8th, 2022Cybersecurity

An identity threat company called 4iQ has recently published a report called “Identities in the Wild:  The Tsunami of Breached Identities Continues.”  Unfortunately, the information in the report contains all bad news.  Some of the details are simply confirmations of things we already knew, and some are shocking statistics that will leave you feeling dismayed.

For instance:

  • Cybercriminals and hackers are getting increasingly sophisticated – This isn’t new, but it’s even worse than that. While there are still a few “lone wolf” type hackers, organized syndicates are increasingly coming to the fore.  Their collaboration with each other is accelerating the development of ever-more-advanced tactics.  New threats are emerging at a much faster pace than data security personnel can respond.
  • Personal data breaches are now the second most common cybercrime on the planet, with corporate data breaches not far behind. The reason hackers are increasingly gravitating toward hacks of individuals has everything to do with the fact that most people have little to no security.  It’s just low-hanging fruit.  Corporate hacks are a bit more difficult, but as we’ve seen via the constant parade of headlines, these tend to be more far-reaching, with a scope and scale that can impact tens of millions of users, or more.
  • There has been a shocking 182 percent increase in the number of identities available on the Darknet belonging to children.

This last point is beyond disturbing.  Bad enough that your own personal and confidential data is at risk, but now your kids are increasingly at risk too. Hackers are using their information to apply for credit cards, rent cars and hotels, and more.

In addition to the obvious dangers of hackers around the world knowing everything there is to know about your kids, it can also irreparably damage your kids’ credit, long before they ever have an opportunity to make use of it.  A grim report that bears close reading.

Jason Manteiga

Jason J. Manteiga, Vice President of Olmec Systems, has been part of the company for over the past 20 years. He believes that having a great work environment and supportive team, is the ultimate key to success. Since being in the IT realm for over 25 years, Jason, along with Olmec Systems, has been on the Inc. 5000 “List of America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies” and Channel Futures MSP 501 “Top Managed Service Providers in North America,” along with other awards and nominations. Jason earned his Bachelor Degree in Information Systems from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He also holds certifications in Microsoft MCSE, VMWare VCP, and Cisco CCNA. In his spare time, Jason is a contributor for The Center for Social & Legal Research (Privacy Exchange) and a member of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce. His hobbies include cycling and kayaking. He currently lives in New Jersey with his wife, two daughters and son.