http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/c_asc/C22 en jonathan.carpenter@dvl.com Copyright 2010 2010-01-14T22:14:00-06:00 http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_to_host_webcast_panel_of_data_breach_experts/ http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_to_host_webcast_panel_of_data_breach_experts/#When:11:00:01Z Session to examine breach response best practices and the cost to corporations of being unprepared NORWALK, Conn., May 14, 2009 - Affinion Security Center, a leading provider of identity theft protection and data breach resolution services, today announced that it will co-host a thought leadership panel with CSO magazine focused on the legal, public relations and privacy issues associated with data breaches.  This live Webcast on Thursday, May 28th, 2009, 2:00 pm EDT will bring together legal, privacy and public relations experts to discuss the devastating effects of data breaches on corporations, including loss of business, reputational damage and legal issues. The panel will also focus on how companies can better prepare for a breach incident in order to mitigate damages. To register for the complimentary webcast, visit www.csoonline.com/webinar/pressrelease The panel will address: How a data breach can quickly impact a business and its customers, partners, employees and prospects Best practices for managing a data breach How a preemptive data breach response plan can mitigate reputational damage, legal ramifications and loss of business Recommendations, tips, lessons-learned, and examples of the key elements that constitute an effective data breach plan Bob Bragdon, Publisher of CSO magazine will moderate the panel of experts, composed of the following industry leaders: Chris Pierson, Senior Vice President and Chief Privacy Officer, Citizens Financial Group, is responsible for developing and implementing the company`s privacy compliance program across all business lines, including Citizens and Charter One banks. Lisa Sotto, Partner, Hunton & Williams LLP, heads the firm`s Privacy and Information Management Practice. Ms. Sotto assists clients in identifying and managing risks associated with privacy and information security issues. Michael Fox, Senior Managing Director of ICR, Inc, a leading financial communications consulting firm, provides strategic financial communications services to a broad spectrum of clients. His work has included crisis communications counsel for both retail and payment processors victimized in recent high-profile data breaches. Tom Rusin, President & Chief Executive Officer, Affinion Security Center leads all aspects of the group`s identity protection services, a market that Affinion has been active in for over 35 years. ASC`s capabilities encompass a broad range of protection, monitoring, resolution and support services, for corporations and individuals. To register for the webinar, please visit:  www.csoonline.com/webinar/pressrelease For more information please visit www.affinionsecuritycenter.com Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/asc_info About BreachShield In 2007, Affinion Security Center launched BreachShield, a full service, rapid response data security breach response and delivery program. National and multi-national enterprises, including those in the financial, retail and travel industries, partnered with BreachShield data breach solutions. Since 2007, BreachShield services have been offered to over five million individuals whose identities have been compromised by a data breach. For more information, please visit www.breachshield.com. For help responding to an incident, please call our 24/7 Hotline at 1-800-350-7209. About Affinion Security Center Affinion Security Center, a division of Norwalk, Connecticut-based Affinion Group, is a global leader in providing identity protection and data security solutions to corporations and individuals. For over 35 years Affinion Security Center has been powering many of the world`s leading personal data protection and breach resolution solutions offered by local, national and multi-national enterprises in the financial, retail and travel industries. The company currently protects over 7 million subscribers with services including IdentitySecure, PrivacyGuard, PC SafetyPlus and Hotline, and serves enterprise and government agencies with the data breach preparation and response tool, BreachShield. Affinion Security Center is part of the steering committee of the Identity Theft Prevention and Identity Management Standards Panel (IDSP). Affinion Security Center, BreachShield 2009-05-14T11:00:01-06:00 http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_survey_finds_identity_theft_impacts_women_more_tha/ http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_survey_finds_identity_theft_impacts_women_more_tha/#When:13:00:00Z Women more likely to be victims, lose more money and take longer to restore their identity NORWALK, Conn., May 11, 2009 - Women are hit much harder by identity theft than men, according to a survey on the impact of identity theft conducted by Affinion Security Center, a leading provider of identity theft protection, detection and resolution services. The national survey polled 808 households, half of whom had been victims of identity theft and half of whom had not. The findings coincide with a recent study from Javelin Research, which found that overall women are 26 percent more likely to experience identity theft than men. The Affinion Security Center survey also offers a new perspective on a deep divide between how women and men are affected by the crime, and how concerned women are about becoming victims as well as how they respond to being defrauded. The study found that women suffer more from identity theft than men, and when victimized, lose more money and take more time to restore their identities. They also change their behavior more dramatically following the theft. Women Hit Harder When Victimized This study found that almost twice as many female victims of identity theft surveyed by Affinion experienced unreimbursed losses of $1,000 or more due to identity theft, when compared to male victims of the crime.  Women were also less likely than men to report no unreimbursed losses.  It also took women longer than men to restore their identities. "While identity theft remains an equal-opportunity crime that affects all types of people, particularly given the indiscriminate nature of data breaches, we were surprised and saddened to learn that the women in our survey reported that they were impacted more than men," Tom Rusin, president of Affinion Security Center. "We are hoping to create an awareness among women so that they can take steps to reduce their risk as well as have an action plan in place should they become victims." "Identity theft is a horrible experience, and I really wish I had known what signs to look for and had an identity theft protection service in place before someone stole my identity," said Annie Kim, a New York City resident who was targeted by an identity thief in 2006." "It took me more than a year to restore my identity --every financial account I had in my name was affected, and the burden was all on me to fix the problem.  I could have saved a lot of time and aggravation if I had known then what I know now."   Women More Concerned about Becoming a Victim than Men Women are also more concerned about identity theft than men.  Both women who have been victims of ID theft, as well those who have not, described themselves as being "most concerned" about having their identity stolen when compared to other types of theft such as a home burglary or having their car stolen .  Approximately 80 percent of all of the women surveyed said that they were "most concerned" with identity theft, whereas only 71 percent of male victims and 59 percent of non-victim males chose this option. Women Change Behavior More Dramatically After ID Theft Not only are women more likely to be victimized, spend more time restoring their identity and lose more money than men, but they are more likely to change their behavior following their experience.  19 percent of women reported shopping online less often after an incident of identity theft, compared to 13 percent of men. 7 percent of women said they refused to shop online at all following the theft, while four times as many women as men who have experienced identity theft keep all of their personal information locked in a safe. The survey was conducted on behalf of Affinion Security Center by Prince Market Research. For more information about Affinion Security Center, please visit http://www.affinionsecuritycenter.com. You can also follow the latest Affinion Security Center news on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/asc_info. Download full release including survey results (pdf) About Affinion Security Center Affinion Security Center, a division of Norwalk, Connecticut-based Affinion Group, is a global leader in providing identity protection and data security solutions to corporations and individuals. For over 35 years Affinion Security Center has been powering many of the world’s leading personal data protection and breach resolution solutions offered by local, national and multi-national enterprises in the financial, retail and travel industries. The company currently protects over 7 million subscribers with services including IdentitySecure, PrivacyGuard, PC SafetyPlus and Hotline, and serves enterprise and government agencies with the data breach preparation and response tool, BreachShield. 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.affinionsecuritycenter.com. Affinion Security Center 2009-05-11T13:00:00-06:00 http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_publishes_data_breach_response_guide/ http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_publishes_data_breach_response_guide/#When:11:00:00Z Manual Contains Best Practices, Case Studies and Guidance for Mitigating Financial and Reputational Damage Resulting from a Data Breach NORWALK, Conn., April 22, 2009 - As incidents of corporate data breaches continue to rise, the rules and regulations requiring compliance for breach notification and response from financial institutions, creditors and many other businesses have strengthened. On May 1, 2009 companies that extend lines of credit to consumers will need to comply with another regulation, the Federal Trade Commission’s Red Flags Rules, which calls for institutions to develop and implement written plans that document how each would prevent, detect and respond to the threat of identity theft. To help companies adhere with the new law and mitigate the financial and reputational damage from any possible data breach, Affinion Security Center, a leading provider of identity theft protection and breach resolution services, today published the Data Breach Response Guide. The Data Breach Response Guide provides companies with best practices, case studies and guidance for preparing written plans to address the threat of identity theft and data breaches, thereby addressing part of the requirements under the Red Flags Rules. The guide is available for download at www.affinionsecuritycenter.com. The Affinion Security Center developed the guide based on the company’s extensive experience providing data breach response programs through its BreachShield solution.  BreachShield is a comprehensive data breach response and delivery program capable of providing end to end support services, including list management, drafting of notification letters, printing and mailing - all backed by industry-leading customer service support and multi-channel enrollment options.  BreachShield has recently strengthened its offerings by adding CardCopsSM web monitoring, a leading service that monitors underground online chat rooms for stolen data, as well as Automated Fraud Alerts to its existing credit monitoring configurations. Since 2007, BreachShield’s rapid response solutions have been offered to more than five million consumers by companies that have suffered a breach. “The Data Breach Response Guide contains valuable information on how to respond to a breach, alert customers, choose resolution services and defend a company financially and from reputational damage due to the devastating effects of data loss,” said Tim Lukens, Senior Vice President of Corporate Solutions at Affinion Security Center.  “The guide comes to market at a critical time, as law enforcement develops stricter laws for companies that handle consumer data and harsher penalties for corporations that mismanage data breaches.” Although data breaches are increasingly common, many companies fail to prepare for an incident and as a result often do not meet consumers’ needs following a data breach. In 2008, the number of breaches reported grew 47% over 2007, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center, and is expected to grow in 2009 absent an increasing focus by companies on data protection.  Consumers are likely to sever relationships with banks, healthcare companies and large retailers that they regularly do business with because of a data breach, according to a study by the Ponemon Institute conducted in February 2009. The study found that more than 68 percent of the $6.65 million average cost of a data breach, results from lost business, including customer termination. The Data Breach Response Guide aims to help companies create an Incident Response Plan before the occurrence of a breach, so that companies can take action more quickly and protect its business relationships after an incident. Rapid response remains one of the most crucial factors to controlling the financial repercussions of a data breach and influencing customer perceptions of how safely a company is handling their financial data. About BreachShield In 2007, Affinion Security Center launched BreachShield, a full service, rapid response data security breach response and delivery program. National and multi-national enterprises, including those in the financial, retail and travel industries, partnered with BreachShield data breach solutions. Since 2007, BreachShield services have been offered to over five million individuals whose identities have been compromised by a data breach. For more information, please visit www.breachshield.com. For help responding to an incident, please call our 24/7 Hotline at 1-800-350-7209. About Affinion Security Center Affinion Security Center, a division of Norwalk, Connecticut-based Affinion Group, is a global leader in providing identity protection and data security solutions to corporations and individuals. For over 35 years Affinion Security Center has been powering many of the world’s leading personal data protection and breach resolution solutions offered by local, national and multi-national enterprises in the financial, retail and travel industries. The company currently protects over 7 million subscribers with services including IdentitySecure, PrivacyGuard, PC SafetyPlus and Hotline, and serves enterprise and government agencies with the data breach preparation and response tool, BreachShield. 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.affinionsecuritycenter.com. Affinion Security Center, BreachShield 2009-04-22T11:00:00-06:00 http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_re45launches_website/ http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_re45launches_website/#When:15:09:00Z New Site Offers Provides Consumers with Resources on Identity Theft NORWALK, Conn., April 3, 2009 - Affinion Security Center, a leading provider of identity theft protection, detection and resolution services, announced today the re-launch of the company`s website, including a new web resource aimed at providing consumers with education about the threats posed by identity theft, data breach events and identity fraud. The revamped site includes: Tips to help consumers avoid having their identities stolen A subscription center with e-mail notification tools to keep subscribers aware of security breaches and trends in identity theft Dynamic RSS feeds aggregating news surrounding identity theft and fraud An archive of audio and video resources available to the public The new site can be found at http://www.affinionsecuritycenter.com. About Affinion Security Center Affinion Security Center, a division of Norwalk, Connecticut-based Affinion Group, is a global leader in providing identity protection and data security solutions to corporations and individuals. For over 35 years Affinion Security Center has been powering many of the world`s leading personal data protection and breach resolution solutions offered by local, national and multi-national enterprises in the financial, retail and travel industries. The company currently protects over 7 million subscribers with services including IdentitySecure, PrivacyGuard, PC SafetyPlus and Hotline, and serves enterprise and government agencies with the data breach preparation and response tool, BreachShield. 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.affinionsecuritycenter.com. Affinion Security Center 2009-04-03T15:09:00-06:00 http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_survey_finds_taxpayers_are_vulnerable_to_tax_job_r/ http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center_survey_finds_taxpayers_are_vulnerable_to_tax_job_r/#When:16:22:00Z Phishing, Vishing and Unscrupulous Tax Preparers Pose a Threat NORWALK, Conn., Mar. 23, 2009 - Tax time will unfortunately bring more than a refund check to many taxpayers this year.  Affinion Security Center, a leading provider of identity theft protection, detection and resolution services, recently conducted a survey of 1,000 adults to determine the level of awareness and concern that exists for tax- and employment-related identity theft. Overall, the findings revealed that taxpayers have a lack of awareness and only moderate levels of concern, leaving them vulnerable and unprotected against these growing threats. Taxpayers Vulnerable to Phising and Vishing Tax Scams and Unscrupulous Tax Preparers When asked how the IRS contacts taxpayers regarding their tax returns, 53 percent did not respond correctly. 23 percent of those responded that they did not know the ways the IRS contacts taxpayers regarding their tax returns, while 22 percent thought that the IRS could call or email them. Additionally three percent thought the IRS could contact them on the telephone and five percent would not be surprised to receive an email from the IRS. Because so many respondents did not know that the IRS does not send unsolicited emails or make unsolicited phone calls regarding refunds or filings, they are vulnerable to phishing or vishing (voice phishing using the telephone) scams where thieves pose as IRS agents to gain personal information such as social security or bank account numbers. The IRS warned taxpayers about several of these scams in 2008. In fact, the recently released annual Fraud and Identity Theft Compliant data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) showed an astounding 85 percent increase over 2007 in complaints related to fraudulent tax refund filings in 2008. The survey also showed that 1/3 of the respondents who rely on the services of a tax preparer were not at all concerned about the possibility of becoming victims of identity theft when choosing their preparer. An additional 23 percent were somewhat concerned and only 18 percent were very concerned. “While identity theft is a cause for concern all year long, tax season is a particularly dangerous time,” said Tom Rusin, president of Affinion Security Center. “Our goal with conducting this survey was to uncover potential vulnerabilities and to help educate people on the dangers that exist and the steps that they can take to try to avoid falling victim to identity thieves and fraudsters.” Employment-Related Identity Theft Another type of identity theft that often comes to light during tax season is employment-related identity theft which can include someone stealing another person’s social security number in order to obtain employment. The Affinion Security Center survey found that while the majority of those surveyed were at least somewhat concerned, almost 40 percent were not at all concerned that they could become victims of employment-related identity theft. This is a troublesome discovery, as the recent FTC data revealed a 30 percent increase in complaints of employment-related fraud in 2008. The Affinion Security Center would like to help educate consumers and provide the following tips on how to Prevent Identity Theft During Tax Season: When Preparing Your Return Be Aware of Suspicious Emails and Phone Calls Regarding Your Tax Refund, Tax Filing or Any Stimulus Checks – Check the IRS website for tips on how to spot scammers and thieves posing as the IRS and a list of known phishes. Be Diligent When Choosing Your Tax Preparers – Ensure that you are working with a credible firm and be extra cautious about new or seasonal offices. Check the IRS website for more tips on how to choose a tax preparer. Secure your computer – Many people file taxes electronically. If you are one of those, be sure to install updated firewalls and anti-spyware protection to help keep your personal data out of the hands of thieves. During and After Filing Mail securely – If you file via mail, be sure to mail your return directly from the post office – do not leave your tax return in your unlocked mailbox or at the curb for pickup by your local mail carrier. Your personal information will be vulnerable until it is retrieved by the postal carrier. Safeguard Sensitive Information in Home and Outside – Frequently the greatest threat to personal information comes from service providers or in-home workers or acquaintances. Keep paperwork in a safe location. When carrying this information out of the house, be sure to keep it on you or make sure if you leave it in the car, it is not visible. Micro-Shred Your Documents – Cross-cut shredders just don’t “cut” it these days. Use a micro-cut shredder for maximum security. The shred size on micro-cut machines is much smaller – documents are literally turned into dust, offering the highest level of security. And since even a seven year- old receipt can be used by a thief, shredding is still one of the simplest ways to prevent identity theft. Consider Identity Theft Protection Services For extra identity protection, taxpayers should consider enrolling in an identity theft protection program such as IdentitySecure. The survey of 1,091 adults was conducted on behalf of Affinion Security Center by Greenfield Online, Inc. in February 2009. About Affinion Security Center Affinion Security Center, a division of Norwalk, Connecticut-based Affinion Group, is a global leader in providing identity protection and data security solutions to corporations and individuals. For over 35 years Affinion Security Center has been powering many of the world’s leading personal data protection and breach resolution solutions offered by local, national and multi-national enterprises in the financial, retail and travel industries. The company currently protects over 7 million subscribers with services including IdentitySecure, PrivacyGuard, PC SafetyPlus and Hotline, and serves enterprise and government agencies with the data breach preparation and response tool, BreachShield. 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.affinionsecuritycenter.com. Affinion, Affinion Security Center 2009-03-24T16:22:00-06:00 http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/identity_theft_complaints_increase_significantly_in_2008/ http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/identity_theft_complaints_increase_significantly_in_2008/#When:11:00:00Z 2008 FTC Fraud and Identity Theft Complaint Data Documents Highest Ever Number of Identity Theft Complaints; Jump in Tax Return Fraud Complaints NORWALK, Conn., Feb. 26, 2009 - The Federal Trade Commission has documented the most cases of identity theft ever in one year in the 2008 Fraud and Identity Theft Complaint Data. Affinion Security Center, a leading provider of identity theft protection services, has also reported over the last six months an increase of approximately 25 percent in the illegal trade of personal information in online chat rooms where thieves buy and sell stolen information such as credit card and social security numbers. In 2008, the FTC reported that it had received approximately 1,200,000 complaints related to fraud, identity theft and other consumer complaints, an approximately 50 percent increase over the previous year.  Those consumers reported fraud related losses of more than $1.8 billion. While the report showed that identity theft is widespread, the states reporting the most complaints - Arizona, California, and Florida, coincide with the states reporting the highest rates of foreclosure, demonstrating that the economic downturn has coincided with an upturn in fraud. "This FTC report confirms what we have been seeing in the online chat rooms where identity thieves buy and sell stolen personal information.  Since we are constantly monitoring these rooms on behalf of our customers, we`ve been able to track a significant increase in activity over the last six months," said Dan Clements, vice president, Affinion Security Center.  "In fact, we think that the number of complaints that the FTC receives are just the tip of the iceberg, and there are actually many more cases of identity theft that go unreported. Americans, more than any other nation, are vulnerable to identity theft," he added. The FTC report also showed that credit card fraud was the most common forms of identity theft. When credit card information is stolen, the thieves often turn to online chat rooms where they buy and sell this information and also conduct tests to ensure the validity of the card. Affinion Security Center`s CardCops team monitors these forums on behalf of customers, alerting them if their information is ever found in a chat room.  In addition, the CardCops team has been able to track down the source of hundreds of data breaches through its research, providing a consumer service by alerting businesses that their information may have been leaked and their customer data compromised. 2008 also demonstrated a more than 50 percent increase in the percentage of identity theft complaints related to fraudulent tax returns filed. "The difficult economic environment is coinciding with a significant increase in cases of identity theft, said Tom Rusin, president of Affinion Security Center.  "We believe that solutions such as IdentitySecure, which protect against many types identity threats, can help bring consumers some peace of mind that they are protected." 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. 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 proactive searches, early detection and recovery assistance. For more information, please visit http://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.affinionsecuritycenter.com. For a screen grab of an online chat room, please contact Todd Smith at Affinion Group, (615) 764-2598, Affinion Security Center 2009-02-27T11:00:00-06:00 http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/nafcu_services_and_affinion_security_center_release_educational_podcast_on_/ http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/nafcu_services_and_affinion_security_center_release_educational_podcast_on_/#When:08:02:00Z WASHINGTON — NAFCU Services Corporation and Affinion Security Center, NAFCU Services’ preferred partner in providing identity theft solutions to credit unions, recently released a free podcast that offers the latest information on identity theft, the fastest growing crime in America. The free podcast is available online at http://www.nafcu.org/affinion. The podcast features an interview with Wayne Conte, executive vice president of sales for Affinion group and an expert in online security, with over 20 years of management and finance experience. Conte discusses the basics of identity theft, ways it commonly occurs, its changing landscape, expected future trends, as well as current statistics on the prevalence of identity theft. “You can’t go a week without opening the paper and seeing news about a security breach or a case of identity theft,” states Conte. “In fact, there were nearly 45 million identity theft victims just in the past five years, and 20 million of those have occurred in the past two years alone. This equates to a cost of more than $56 billion or $6,383 per victim annually.” In the podcast, Conte also explains valuable tips for both credit unions and credit union members in preventing, detecting and resolving identity theft issues. “The dramatic increase in identity theft crimes over recent years leaves credit unions pressured to stay on top of the most current trends in online security,” explains David Frankil, president of NAFCU Services Corporation. “Technology is part of the problem, but it is also part of the solution. Credit unions need to take advantage of the technology available to prevent, quickly detect and effectively resolve online security breaches that could lead to potentially devastating effects for their members if identity theft occurs.” Wayne Conte and other credit union security experts will speak at the NAFCU’s 2009 Security and Technology Conference in Las Vegas, February 23–26. The conference is open to both NAFCU members and non-members. Visit http://www.nafcu.org/technology for more information or to register. 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. About NAFCU Services Corporation NAFCU Services Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Association of Federal Credit Unions (NAFCU). Since 1975, NAFCU Services has partnered with the industry’s leading solutions providers to offer value-added products and services at a discount to credit unions. Currently, it offers 27 Preferred Partner programs to the credit union community. For more information about NAFCU Services Corporation, please visit http://www.nafcu.org/nafcuservices. Affinion Security Center 2009-02-11T08:02:00-06:00 http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center39s_card_patrol_identity_theft_protection_service_c/ http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/affinion_security_center39s_card_patrol_identity_theft_protection_service_c/#When:14:00:00Z ...By More than 200 Financial Institutions Card PatrolSM Protects Account Holders and Increases Confidence in Banking Transactions NORWALK, Conn., Jan. 7, 2009 - Affinion Security Center, a leading provider of identity theft protection services, announced today that more than 200 U.S. and Canadian financial institutions have selected Affinion Security Center's Card PatrolSM to offer their account holders protection against identity theft. The benefits provided exclusively through Card Patrol are now available to approximately 10 million account holders nationwide through national, regional, and community banks and credit unions.  Card Patrol marketing by financial institutions has increased 100 percent in the past five months - in July, Affinion announced Card Patrol had been marketed by over 100 financial institutions; demonstrating a 100 percent increase in the last six months. Card Patrol protects an institution's account holders through real-time monitoring of the chat rooms where thieves buy and sell debit and credit card numbers, to help prevent fraudulent charges before they occur. Account holders can register up to ten account numbers and receive an instant e-notification of suspicious activity associated with any of their registered credit or debit card numbers.  Additionally, consumers are notified when other personal information appears on-line or in chat rooms, including social security number, mother’s maiden name, and card PIN numbers. "The rapid growth of this program indicates consumers' increased attention to the threat of identity theft, the link to personal finance and consumers' reliance on trusted financial partners to provide them with reliable solutions," said Tom Rusin, CEO of Affinion Security Center. "We strategically evaluate each service provider that we recommend to our customers in an effort to provide only the most relevant and valued options," said Serge Rivest, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Davis + Henderson, a leading provider of programs to the Canadian financial services industry. "Card Patrol has been successful in increasing awareness of identity theft as it continues to claim more victims worldwide.  This service has been a benefit that many of our customers take advantage of." 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 www.affinion.com. Affinion, Affinion Security Center, Card Cops 2009-01-07T14:00:00-06:00 http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/accertify_and_affinion_security_center_partner_to_deliver_enhanced_fraud_pr/ http://affiniongroupmedia.com/index.php/affinion/display_blog/accertify_and_affinion_security_center_partner_to_deliver_enhanced_fraud_pr/#When:14:00:00Z ...for Online Merchants Instant Notification of Compromised Credit and Debit Cards Helps Prevent Fraudulent Transactions Chicago, Ill. and Norwalk, Conn., December 17, 2008 - Accertify (www.accertify.com), a provider of leading-edge credit card fraud prevention solutions, and Affinion Security Center (www.affinionsecuritycenter.com), a leading provider of identity theft protection services, announced today that Affinion Security Center's Merchant Alarm (www.merchantalarm.com) capability will be added to Accertify's Interceptas platform.  Merchant Alarm patrols the Internet to find compromised credit card and debit card data generally well before cardholders know their data has even been taken. Merchant Alarm then provides alerts to credit card merchants in real time, so they can avoid processing potentially fraudulent transactions. Effective immediately, this feature will now be integrated into the Interceptas platform to give merchants an additional, powerful tool for reducing fraud in "card-not-present" transactions, which commonly occur when purchases are made without the physical presence of the credit or debit card, such as in online transactions.  With this partnership, Interceptas clients will be able to detect if a customers is using a compromised card - even if it has yet to be reported lost or stolen. "Accertify’s experts are constantly searching the marketplace for new and better anti-fraud tools to give Interceptas customers the best protection possible," said Michael Long, Chief Product Strategist for Accertify. "Merchant Alarm is the latest addition to our workbench platform.  Adding a database of compromised credit cards to our solution will benefit all of our customers. " "We are pleased to partner with Accertify, as the company enhances its protection of online merchants, and strives to prevent the billions of dollars in losses that occur each year due to online payment fraud," said Tom Rusin, President and CEO of the Affinion Security Center.  "Accertify is making it easier for merchants to gain access to a variety of fraud-fighting tools by integrating the latest fraud prevention services within their Interceptas platform." About Accertify® Accertify, Inc. is the first company to focus on developing fraud prevention tools and strategies from the perspective of merchants that accept ‘card not present’ transactions. That focus led to the development of Interceptas® which applies state of the art automation to every step in the merchant’s process of managing credit card fraud exposure. Accertify exemplifies a constant commitment to maintaining the best in fraud prevention strategies, and its management team combines complementary skills from fraud management, business software development, accounting and legal to assure that its customers receive the most comprehensive, cost-effective solution to credit card fraud available. 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.affinionsecuritycenter.com. Affinion, Affinion Security Center 2008-12-17T14:00:00-06:00 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