"Identity Theft for Dummies"?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

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From: Randall <rvh40 () insightbb com>
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2005 13:37:32 -0500
To: cyberia <CYBERIA-L () LISTSERV AOL COM>
Cc: Dave <dave () farber net>
Subject: "Identity Theft for Dummies"?

http://money.excite.com/jsp/nw/nwdt_rt.jsp?section=news&cat=INDUSTRY&feed=dj
i&news_id=dji-00115220050224&date=20050224

Sen Schumer Urges Westlaw To Close Identity Security Hole


Thursday February 24, 1:40 PM EST



WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., has asked
Westlaw to shut down its People Finder database, warning that the
service could easily be exploited by identity thieves.

Westlaw is a product of Thomson West, a division of Thomson Legal &
Regulatory, which oversees all of the legal and regulatory businesses
worldwide of the Thomson Corp. (TOC).

The People Finder databases cover 230 million names, 139 million
households, 71 million phone numbers and 160 million Social Security
numbers, according to Westlaw promotional material. The database is a
Credit Bureau Person Tracker and allows the user to find a person using
only a partial name, address or Social Security number, Westlaw says.

The company is preparing a response to Schumers' allegations, said Jason
Stewart, Thomson Corp.'s vice president for media relations.



Schumer said the major flaw with the system is that there is no
restriction on who can use the system once its been sold.

"When we called Westlaw, we learned that you offer this service to
anyone who is willing to pay for it, regardless of their need for it and
without even the most cursory background check," Schumer wrote in a
letter to Thomson West President and Chief Executive Peter Warwick.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Schumer said his staff was later told
that Westlaw relies on an "on-you-honor affirmation by users that they
will not use the information they find illegally."

While that may be good for Westlaw's business, it's not good for
security, Schumer said.

Schumer said he learned of the "gaping hole" through a constituent
working for the federal courts. U.S. Senate offices also have access to
People Finder and his staff readily looked up the personal information
for several celebrities and top politicians ranging from Paris Hilton to
Vice President Dick Cheney. In each case, they learned the person's
latest address and Social Security number.

"This search engine could be called `identity theft for dummies',"
Schumer wrote to Warwick.

Schumer said he decided to call a press conference on the matter only
after he called Warwick earlier this month, but received no further
response to his concerns.

The senator said the People Finder service, as well as the Choicepoint
(CPS) scandal, should serve as warning that Congress should act to
replace the " patchwork of state and federal laws" governing personal
data with a comprehensive federal law.

In the mean time, companies entrusted with this data must take every
precaution to protect it, Schumer said.

-By John Godfrey, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-6601;
John.Godfrey () dowjones com



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