http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/c_asc/C22 en jonathan.carpenter@dvl.com Copyright 2008 2008-11-14T18:46:00-06:00 http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_launches_comprehensive_identity_theft_protection_i/ http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_launches_comprehensive_identity_theft_protection_i/#When:11:56:01Z New Service Helps Arm Consumers Against The Major Types of Identity Theft NORWALK, Conn., Sept. 26, 2008 - Responding to the millions of identity theft claims made by consumers every year, Affinion Security Center, a leading provider of identity theft protection services, announced today the availability of its most comprehensive identity theft protection solution to date, IdentitySecure. IdentitySecure provides members with a combination of powerful services to protect personal information and financial data. The service is available to businesses seeking to protect their customers from identity theft, and direct to consumers at www.identitysecure.com. Each feature of the IdentitySecure solution is designed to address the modern threats facing consumers, threats that can't be adequately monitored by an average, or even technology-savvy, individual. With risk of exposure through corporate data breaches, stolen computers and phishing scams, more than 27.3 million Americans have been victims of identity theft in the last five years*. The rising number of corporate hacks and breaches may mean even more Americans are at risk each year. The recent identity theft ring indicted in Boston captured at least 40 million data records from popular retailers such as TJ Maxx. These increasingly common data breaches expose consumer records that could include large amounts of sensitive personal and financial data that are stolen by thieves and then used to make fraudulent purchases or sold to other criminals. Consumers are very concerned about identity theft. According to a recent survey of 1,000 people conducted by Affinion Security Center, 80 percent of respondents were very concerned about having their identities stolen, and one in four people were most concerned that their data would be leaked by a major retailer who retained their credit card information from a recent transaction. IdentitySecure was developed with these threats in mind. The IdentitySecure service includes features such as monitoring of social security numbers and public records to detect criminal activity, frequent data sweeps of the internet for personal information, credit monitoring, and monitoring of underground chat rooms that buy and sell personal information. While breaches are often unavoidable, IdentitySecure provides the proactive searches, early detection and recovery assistance. Purchasing all of these stand-alone services could easily cost more than $40 per month, but an individual subscription to IdentitySecure is available for $1 for the first month and only $14.99 each additional month. "Unfortunately, identity theft is becoming very common in our society, and even being more careful with credit cards and monitoring one's credit report cannot protect against the types of hacking and data breaches that are occurring every day," said Tom Rusin, CEO of Affinion Security Center. "With IdentitySecure we believe that we can give consumers the best end-to-end protection and detection possible against the many different types of identity theft." Solutions that offer only credit monitoring and fraud alerts, address only a small portion of the identity theft problem while IdentitySecure offers a cost-effective solution for people seeking comprehensive protection against the multitude of threats. IdentitySecure has already been selected as the solution of choice for several major banks and insurance providers who are recommending the enhanced protection to their customers. IdentitySecure Protection includes the following services CardCops monitoring of the internet and offshore chat rooms for up to 10 credit/debit cards in the subscriber's name. Frequent public records searches to discover criminal activity associated with the subscriber's name or address. DataSweep automated "sweep" of top internet directories and web search engines for members' personal contact information including address and phone numbers. Personalized fraud protection dashboard allows members to track important activities associated with their identity at one secure, central location. Computer Security including software enhancements and PC Damage protection . Identity theft insurance with coverage increased from $10,000 to $25,000 with no deductible. Not available to New York state residents. Fraud Assist Toolbox powered by Truston, an online fraud resolution service that provides step-by-step instructions on how to address different types of fraud and sends convenient date reminder emails to keep the process on track (available shortly). Truston recently received a four-star rating from PC Magazine. Comprehensive neighborhood reports including demographics , school ratings, crime statistics and pollution measurements for towns across America. FCRA trained identity fraud solution specialist helps victims to resolve any case of fraud. For more information, please visit www.affinionsecuritycenter.com. About Affinion Security Center Affinion Security Center, a division of Norwalk, Connecticut-based Affinion Group, is a premier security, credit monitoring and identity theft protection innovator with nearly 35 years of global experience. It launched HotLine, a leading ID theft, credit card, fraud protection and security service in 1969. PrivacyGuard, a comprehensive membership credit monitoring product which was created in 1992, remains one of the most widely used in the U.S. In 2006, ID Secure, a sophisticated tool that uses leading-edge public records, Social Security number and credit monitoring technology to fight ID theft, was born. Another ID theft protection service in Affinion's growing security business is PC SafetyPlus, an identity theft software service that protects members with a personal firewall to thwart hackers and other online ID threats. PC SafetyPlus software features automatic updates and service upgrades for protection against prevailing computer viruses, spyware and worms. In 2008 BreachShield, the preeminent solution to corporate data breach response, was introduced to the product line. Affinion Security Center is part of the steering committee of the Identity Theft Prevention and Identity Management Standards Panel (IDSP) and is a member of the Staples Security Council. For more information please visit http://www.affinion.com. * Javelin Research study, published February 2007. Affinion Security Center, ID Secure 2008-09-26T11:56:01-06:00 http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_partners_with_davis_henderson/ http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_partners_with_davis_henderson/#When:13:00:00Z …To Offer Card Patrolsm Identity Theft Protection Service In Canada Card Patrolsm Protects Account Holders and Increases Confidence in Banking Transactions NORWALK, Conn., Sept. 9, 2008 - Affinion Security Center, a division of Affinion Group and a leading provider of identity theft protection services, has partnered with Davis + Henderson, a leading provider of programs to the Canadian financial services industry, to offer Card Patrolsm powered by CardCops technology to guard account holder identities for financial institutions in Canada.  To date, more than 120 U.S. financial institutions have selected Affinion Security Center’s Card Patrolsm to protect consumer identity from the spiraling crime of ID theft.  The benefits provided exclusively through Card Patrolsm are now available to millions of consumers in the United States and Canada through national, regional, and community banks and credit unions.  By helping account holders fight identity theft, these financial institutions are able to enhance loyalty and trust, and provide additional reassurance about the safety of their account holders’ identity. “We are excited about our partnership with Affinion Group, a preeminent leader in ID theft and fraud protection,” said Serge Rivest, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Davis + Henderson.  “By joining forces with Affinion Security Center, and its growing ID theft prevention business, we are leveraging their expansive marketing reach to stop thousands of thieves while providing peace of mind to millions of North Americans and their financial institutions.” Card Patrolsm provides an institution’s account holders the ability to prevent fraudulent charges before they occur by offering real-time monitoring of the chat rooms where thieves buy and sell debit and credit card numbers. Account holders can register up to 10 cards and receive an instant e-notification of detected suspicious activity associated with any of their registered credit or debit card numbers.  Additionally, if a consumer’s card information is found, they have access to see what other personal information appears on-line, including social security number, mother’s maiden name, and card PIN numbers. “We believe that Card Patrolsm is a way for financial institutions to encourage account holders to utilize online banking by signaling that they take security very seriously and have proactive solutions to address any issues,” said Tom Rusin, CEO and President of Affinion Group, North America. “Card Patrolsm can help financial institutions instill confidence in online banking and build account holder loyalty.” Between January and December 2007 the Federal Trade Commission received more than 800,000 consumer fraud and identity theft complaints. The total number of identity theft victims reached 15 million in 2006 according to research firm Gartner. Card Patrol is a proactive tool in the fight against identity theft. About Affinion Security Center Affinion Security Center, a division of Norwalk, Conn.-based Affinion Group, is a premier security, credit monitoring and identity theft protection innovator with nearly 35 years of global experience. It launched HotLine, a leading ID theft, credit card, fraud protection and security service in 1969. PrivacyGuard, a comprehensive membership credit monitoring product which was created in 1992, remains one of the most widely used credit monitoring solutions in the U.S. In 2006, ID Secure, a sophisticated tool that uses leading-edge public records, Social Security number and credit monitoring technology to fight ID theft, was born.  Another ID theft protection service in Affinion’s growing security business is PC SafetyPlus, an identity theft software service that protects members with a personal firewall to thwart hackers and other online ID threats. PC SafetyPlus software features automatic updates and service upgrades for protection against prevailing computer viruses, spyware and worms. In 2008 BreachShield, the preeminent solution to corporate data breach response was introduced to the product line. Affinion Security Center is part of the steering committee of the Identity Theft Prevention and Identity Management Standards Panel (IDSP) and is a member of the Staples Security Council. For more information please visit http://www.affinion.com. About Davis + Henderson Davis + Henderson and its predecessors have been serving the Canadian financial services industry since 1875. Through integrated service offerings, Davis + Henderson is a market leader in providing programs to customers who offer checking account and lending services within Canada. Davis + Henderson Income Fund is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, symbol DHF.UN.  Further information can be found in the disclosure documents filed by Davis + Henderson Income Fund with the securities regulatory authorities, available at http://www.sedar.com. Affinion Security Center 2008-09-09T13:00:00-06:00 http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_offers_inside_look_at_world_of_identity_theft/ http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_offers_inside_look_at_world_of_identity_theft/#When:15:01:00Z Launches New Identity Secure Product Affinion Security Center's Corporate Data Breach and Consumer Identity Theft Solutions To Be Featured at Interop New York 2008 Conference and Exposition Booth #1120 Interop New York 2008 Identity theft is a harsh reality for consumers. Corporate data breaches leak millions of customers records into the public domain every year. But what are the realities of breached data? Where does it end up? And how can companies and their consumers respond? Affinion Security Center will offer an inside look at the underground world of identity theft, and demonstrating its comprehensive protection solutions at the Interop New York 2008 Conference and Exposition. WHO: Affinion Security Center, a premier security, credit monitoring and identity theft protection innovator with nearly 35 years of global experience. WHAT: Affinion Security Center is offering Interop attendees the chance to see the underground world of identity theft in action.  At the booth there will be: Live IM chat with a hacker and call with a consumer whose information the team finds in a chat room A visit to an e-commerce site where the product is stolen credit cards Visits to message board forums and chat rooms where personal information is bought and sold Special Demonstrations: "Feeding of the Sharks" - Watch as the Affinion Security Center team throws blood into the water in the form of a live credit card in the ID theft chat rooms. See how quickly the sharks bite! Affinion Security Center Solutions BreachShield - Corporate data breach solution. BreachShield empowers companies to provide quick, superior and compliant safeguards against misuse of compromised customer/partner data in the event of a data breach. IdentitySecure -Launching at the Interop, the company's most comprehensive identity theft protection solution to date. The service includes features such as monitoring of social security numbers and public records to detect criminal activity, frequent data sweeps of the internet for personal information, credit monitoring and monitoring of underground chat rooms that buy and sell personal information. WHERE: Booth # 1120 Interop New York 2008 Jacob Javitts Convention Center WHEN: Ongoing throughout the show Special Demonstrations: Feeding of the Sharks: 2:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m. September 17th & 18th CONTACT: Matt Lindberg ICR, Inc. for Affinion Security Center Phone: (203) 682-8214 Email: Affinion Security Center 2008-09-03T15:01:00-06:00 http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/identity_theft_expert_frank_abagnale_participates_in_insurance_industry_con/ http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/identity_theft_expert_frank_abagnale_participates_in_insurance_industry_con/#When:14:48:00Z Leading authority on fraud prevention provides constructive advice in protecting against ID theft NORWALK, Conn., Aug. 8, 2008 - Frank Abagnale, subject of the best-selling novel and movie "Catch Me If You Can", and spokesperson for the Affinion Security Center’s PrivacyGuard service, recently addressed the attendees of the 2008 Summer Conference of the Professional Insurance Marketing Association (PIMA). The conference brought together leaders in insurance direct marketing to discuss insurance group products as well as critical issues facing the industry. Frank Abagnale is one of the world’s leading authorities on fraud prevention and serves as a consultant to companies and government agencies worldwide. In his keynote address titled "Stealing Your Life", Abagnale focused on several key themes: consumers’ personal data are increasingly available through a network of underground websites; every individual is capable of being a victim of identity theft; consumers cannot rely on government intervention to solve this growing problem. "Frank’s address was a real eye-opener to our audience", said Ronald Clarke, Co-Chair of the PIMA conference. "Through his engaging and enlightening presentation, the PIMA members left the conference with valuable information on how to protect our customers, and even ourselves, from identity theft." Identity theft has been cited by the U.S. Justice Department as the leading consumer fraud in 2008, and as the fastest-growing crime in America. It is also quickly becoming a global crime, with chat rooms based out of Europe and Asia trading full identities of consumers and other compromised personal information, such as social security numbers, mother’s maiden names, PIN numbers, and more. The commission of identity theft is becoming increasingly sophisticated due to the use of technology to steal and then trade the data. Coupled with an increase in the reported incidences of security breaches at institutions housing large archives of personal financial data, Abagnale urged the PIMA audience to recognize that every individual is at risk of becoming an identity theft victim. Abagnale believes that governments will not be able to address this issue through legislation alone due to jurisdictional and resource limitations, and recommends providing services such as PrivacyGuard to arm consumers with tools to protect their identities from misuse. PrivacyGuard offers daily credit monitoring, alerts to changes in a consumer’s profile, credit reports, credit scores, and analysis. PrivacyGuard is offered as one of the services in the Affinion Security Center (www.affinionsecuritycenter.com), a leading provider of identity theft protection services for the customers of financial institutions, government agencies and other companies. For more information, please visit www.affinionsecuritycenter.com About Affinion Security Center Affinion Security Center, a division of Norwalk, Conn.-based Affinion Group, is a premier security, credit monitoring and identity theft protection innovator with nearly 35 years of global experience. It launched HotLine, a leading ID theft, credit card, fraud protection and security service in 1969. PrivacyGuard, a comprehensive membership credit monitoring product which was created in 1992, remains one of the most widely used in the U.S. In 2006, ID Secure, a sophisticated tool that uses leading-edge public records, Social Security number and credit monitoring technology to fight ID theft, was born. Another ID theft protection service in Affinion’s growing security business is PC SafetyPlus, an identity theft software service that protects members with a personal firewall to thwart hackers and other online ID threats. PC SafetyPlus software features automatic updates and service upgrades for protection against prevailing computer viruses, spyware and worms. In 2008 BreachShield, the preeminent solution to corporate data breach response, was introduced to the product line. Affinion Security Center is part of the steering committee of the Identity Theft Prevention and Identity Management Standards Panel (IDSP) and is a member of the Staples Security Council. For more information please visit www.affinion.com.  Affinion, Affinion Security Center, Privacy Guard 2008-08-08T14:48:00-06:00 http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_launches_new_web_portal_for_businesses/ http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_launches_new_web_portal_for_businesses/#When:16:30:00Z ...to Help Clients Prevent Identity Theft New Website Offers Customizable Identity Theft Protection Solutions that Help Increase Customer Security and Loyalty NORWALK, Conn., July 30, 2008 - Affinion Security Center, a leading provider of identity theft protection services, announced today the launch of a new website that will act as a platform for its robust line of identity theft protection solutions. The site, http://www.affinionsecuritycenter.com, will allow financial institutions, government agencies, educational organizations and other companies to offer their customers unique combinations of services aimed at identity theft protection, detection and resolution. By offering customers solutions to a critical problem such as identity theft, companies can increase a customer’s sense of security which in turn can create brand loyalty. The Affinion Security Center website is unique because it allows Affinion’s clients to create customized solutions that address specific risks to different customers.  The portal offers a broad array of services that clients can choose from to create a customized solution, including; credit monitoring and reporting, public records monitoring, protection from new account fraud, social security number monitoring, online chat room monitoring with Affinion’s CardCops service and identity theft resolution services. The Affinion Security Center is also a source of valuable information related to identity theft such as an RSS feed of the most up to date news on the issue. In addition to providing information and customer solutions, the site highlights the solutions available for businesses such as Affinion’s BreachShield service.  BreachShield provides organizations with all of the tools necessary to develop an effective tactical response to a data breach, including identity theft and credit monitoring solutions to help reassure affected customers. “Affinion has more than 5,000 business clients, many of which are some of the world’s largest financial institutions, so we understand that one of our clients’ main goals is to increase customer retention by offering valuable new services,” said Tom Rusin, CEO and President of Affinion Group, North America. “One of the ways that we have been able to help our clients most effectively increase customer retention is through Affinion’s identity theft protection services.  With Affinion Security Center, now it is even easier for clients to create a customized identity theft solution that meets the exact needs of their customer base.” Affinion Security Center offers customization options and services that are appropriate for a wide array of organizations. For example, a national bank might choose to offer customers a full-service solution that includes credit monitoring, public data sweeps, credit card registration, and identity theft resolution services, while a university may only want to offer its students a program that includes credit monitoring and PC protection. A solution can be built to offer full protection or complement existing solutions already in place. The services are available for custom-branding, so organizations can create a cohesive look and feel and increase brand visibility with customers. A study conducted by Strategic Research Partners of financial institutions offering PrivacyGuard, one of Affinion’s identity theft protection services, found that the high level of customer satisfaction with the service led to stronger customer allegiance for the institutions offering it. More than two thirds of all customers polled reported that they were more likely to retain their business with institutions that offered them the PrivacyGuard solution. According to a recent Javelin Research study there have been 44.8 million victims of identity theft in the past five years in the United States, and nearly 18 million in the past two years alone.  This crime costs more than $51 billion or $5,920 per victim annually, becoming so prevalent that an identity thief strikes on average every 3.5 seconds.  In fact, ID theft has now surpassed drug trafficking as the No. 1 crime in America, according to the Justice Department. For more information, please visit www.affinionsecuritycenter.com About Affinion Security Center Affinion Security Center, a division of Norwalk, Conn.- based Affinion Group, is a premier security, credit monitoring and identity theft protection innovator with nearly 35 years of global experience. It launched HotLine, a leading ID theft, credit card, fraud protection and security service in 1969. PrivacyGuard, a comprehensive membership credit monitoring product which was created in 1992, remains one of the most widely used in the U.S. In 2006, ID Secure, a sophisticated tool that uses leading-edge public records, Social Security number and credit monitoring technology to fight ID theft, was born. Another ID theft protection service in Affinion’s growing security business is PC SafetyPlus, an identity theft software service that protects members with a personal firewall to thwart hackers and other online ID threats. PC SafetyPlus software features automatic updates and service upgrades for protection against prevailing computer viruses, spyware and worms. In 2008 BreachShield, the preeminent solution to corporate data breach response, was introduced to the product line. Affinion Security Center is part of the steering committee of the Identity Theft Prevention and Identity Management Standards Panel (IDSP) and is a member of the Staples Security Council. For more information please visit http://www.affinion.com. Affinion, Affinion Security Center 2008-07-30T16:30:00-06:00