CONNECTICUT ADVICE OFFERED ON PROTECTING AGAINST IDENTITY THEFT IN THE WORKPLACE AP9 Privacy Matters 123 Offers Advice on Protecting Yourself Against Identity Theft in the Workplace:

AP9 Privacy Matters 123 Offers Advice on Protecting Yourself Against Identity Theft in the Workplace

AP9 PrivacyMatters123 Provides Members with a Variety of Credit Monitoring Tools That Can Help Uncover Identity Theft Events

Norwalk, Conn. (PRWEB) May 8, 2007 -- Identity theft is complicated enough, notes AP9 Privacy Matters 123, a leading security and privacy membership program offered by Adaptive Marketing LLC, but when the theft occurs in the workplace, it can have even wider implications, raising questions about employer screening methods and security practices, not to mention the issues it can raise regarding the victim's future career path.

Identity theft can be a rewarding crime, unfortunately, offering perpetrators access to potentially unlimited assets through illegal actions that, when performed by a skilled criminal, are designed to be as difficult to trace as possible. The 'money for nothing' allure of identity theft tends to appeal to a broad swath of people, regardless of their race, gender, education level, employment level or other demographic category. Simply put, an identity thief can lurk anywhere -- even in your office, cautions AP9 Privacy Matters 123.

While there's no way to 'profile' or otherwise identify someone who may be an identity thief, AP Privacy Matters 123 does have a few suggestions for protecting your identifying information as much as possible in a work environment:

-- Guard your Social Security number religiously. Some company documents, including job applications, W-9 forms, health insurance policies and more, need a Social Security number for processing purposes, so be sure to store copies of those documents securely. Other corporate documents -- sick day logs, vacation requests, expense reports and others -- shouldn't require a Social Security number. Don't be afraid to question a request for a Social Security number on such materials. Work with Human Resources and other departments to find ways to replace Social Security number requests with less vital identifying information.

-- Practice safe computer skills. Your computer probably stores a lot of personally identifying information about you, from your name and address to your credit card and even Social Security numbers. Don't leave yourcomputer on and unguarded for any significant period of time; a computer -savvy ID thief can swipe information from your hard drive in less time than it takes to sit through a staff meeting. Also, if you're receiving a newcomputer, make sure the information on your old hard drive will be permanently erased once your new computer has been installed.

-- Keep your password(s) to yourself. An effective corporate security policy should never require you to share passwords with co-workers, even if they're working on projects with you. A password in the wrong hands can potentially cost you every piece of data on yourcomputer, including information that's unique to you. Memorize your passwords, and, if others need access to information on your computer, key your password in yourself rather than sharing it, even with your boss.

-- Protect your personal materials. Storing your purse or wallet in your office desk is fine -- as long as you're sitting in your office. If you're in and out of your office all day, you're at risk fortheft unless you can lock your office drawers with a key that no one else has. If security in your office is poor, consider bringing in only those items you need to get through the day (i.e., driver's license, lunch money, personal grooming items, medications) and leaving everything else (credit cards, Social Security cards, other personally identifying materials) stored securely at home.

Restoring your identity after it's been stolen can require a lot of your time and resources. Your best course of action is to take pre-emptive steps to protect your identity, even in your workplace, reports AP9 PrivacyMatters123.

About AP9 PrivacyMatters123
AP9 Privacy Matters 123 is a leading membership program offered by Adaptive Marketing LLC that offers consumers instant, online access to 3 in 1 credit reports and scores, daily Triple Bureau credit monitoring and more. Headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., Adaptive Marketing is a category leader in membership programs, bringing value direct to consumers through an array of benefits in healthcare, discounts, security, personal property and personals. Members may access their benefits at http://www.privacymatters.com/
[PrivacyMatters.com. With broad online and offline distribution capabilities, Adaptive Marketing offers its corporate client partners effective tools to enhance market presence, strengthen customer affinity and generate additional value through programs such as AP9 Privacy Matters 123.