Security Breaches Bring Safety of Data ToForefront

PLEASANTON, Calif. - (06/29/05) – Not surprisingly, the ongoingnews reports of ever-larger data security breaches, from lost bankback-up file tapes to card processors losing data on tens ofmillions of customers to phishing attacks against credit unions,has raised the profile of what members can do to protectthemselves. In response, ever-more credit unions across the countryare teaming with various providers of identity-theft services,which offer to do everything from helping to guard against theft ofpersonal financial data in the first place to helping to rebuildcredit and clean up files if a theft has occurred. Among the stepscredit unions are taking: Sterlent Credit Union in Pleasanton,Calif., recently teamed with Fraudlines, based in Oregon City,Ore., to provide member education; Georgia FCU is the latest toteam with Identity Theft 911 and combining the service with itsexisting “We’ve Got You Covered” campaign for newauto loans. The new program will provide members with a monthlynewsletter, fraud alerts and a web site dedicated to variousarticles, congressional updates and interviews. And CUNA MutualGroup and CUNA announced in May a collaborative effort to developan online toolkit that will compile “the nation’s bestresources for preventing and repairing identitytheft.”