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The author of this blog, David T.S. Fraser, is a Canadian privacy lawyer who practices with the firm of McInnes Cooper. He is the author of the Physicians' Privacy Manual. He has a national and international practice advising corporations and individuals on matters related to Canadian privacy laws.

For full contact information and a brief bio, please see David's profile.

Please note that I am only able to provide legal advice to clients. I am not able to provide free legal advice. Any unsolicited information sent to David Fraser cannot be considered to be solicitor-client privileged.

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The views expressed herein are solely the author's and should not be attributed to his employer or clients. Any postings on legal issues are provided as a public service, and do not constitute solicitation or provision of legal advice. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained herein or linked to. Nothing herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of competent counsel.

This web site is presented for informational purposes only. These materials do not constitute legal advice and do not create a solicitor-client relationship between you and David T.S. Fraser. If you are seeking specific advice related to Canadian privacy law or PIPEDA, contact the author, David T.S. Fraser.

Thursday, June 23, 2005

Online records pose risk of identity theft

Public registries have always been public, but putting them online can pose particular risks because they are so easily accessible and can be readily harvested by identity thieves. Today's Boston Globe is running a story on the information that available through Massacusetts' government websites, the risks they pose and what legislators are planning to do about it.

State's online records pose risk - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - Technology - Business:
"...Public documents that sometimes contain names and Social Security numbers include state and federal tax liens, Massachusetts Health liens, child support liens, and, less frequently, mortgages, said registers of deeds.
Although registers of deeds said that they are unaware of cases in which criminals used information from their databases maliciously, the information contained in the documents would be more than enough to steal an identity and open new lines of credit, said Eric Bourassa, a consumer advocate with the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group who deals with identity theft issues.
''Once you get someone's name, address, and Social Security number you can really create a fake identity,' said Bourassa. ''This is really bad.'..."

Labels: health information, identity theft, information breaches