University of Maryland University College Professor Balakrishnan Dasarathy, chair of UMUC’s Cybersecurity & Information Assurance Program, lent his expertise to the Oct. 17 article “2018’s States Most Vulnerable to Identity Theft & Fraud,” written by financial writer Adam McCann for the personal-finance website, WalletHub.
In the article’s “Ask the Experts” section, Dasarathy discusses how to safeguard personal information from cybercriminals and provides his perspective on a variety of related questions, including whether:
- The explosion of social media plays a role in facilitating cybercrime
- Authorities should test credit bureaus for security breaches on a regular basis
- The federal government should create a uniform process for assisting identity-theft victims in restoring their name
WalletHub developed its 2018 “States Most Vulnerable” rankings by comparing data from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., on identity-theft complaints per capita, the average loss-amount due to fraud, and eight other criteria to determine who is likely to have the greatest exposure to cyber theft and fraud. While, for certain, geography plays a role, Dasarathy and other experts agree that practicing good cyber hygiene wherever you reside—following well-documented best practices for securing personal data—goes a long way in keeping you safe online.
Find out how your state fared in the WalletHub study and read Dasarathy’s advice for protecting your personal information.
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