The Red Flag Rule And Businesses

I was talking to a business owner / friend the other day and he was showing me a concept for a website that he had been working on for the last year or so. However, before he showed me any specifics about the website and any of the particulars he wanted me to sign a confidentiality agreement. I read and signed the agreement. He then started to explain what he was trying to accomplish with the site on how it was going to be maintained, marketed and the revenue side of his campaign. The reason he wanted to show me his project is that he wanted relevant businesses to be associated with his project. The more I sat and listened the more I was convinced that this project of his had the potential of really doing well in the Internet Arena.

What I'm getting at is that my friend had the intellect and understanding to "protect" his idea and investments from being stolen from people by having them sign a confidentiality statement before he released any information. When it comes to opening or running a business I think you'll agree there are no shortages of regulations that are set forth by Federal and local governments to operate. Having said that I have to admit one of the best ones to come out in recent years is the "Red Flag Rule" which addresses Identity Theft in the workplace. I'm not a big fan of regulations myself but this is one all businesses can live with and adhere to with astounding ease. And if you're not familiar with this regulation don't feel bad. In my experience in this field I would estimate that over 85% of the companies and businesses that I come in contact with have either never heard of the law or have not implemented it. And what's surprising to me is that, even though this regulation is required by law, business owners are reluctant to put it into place.

Let's take a quick look at this regulation. There are several identity theft laws that deal with workplace identity theft protection but they all pretty much point in the same direction.

1) Have a security policy in place that addresses the company's security issues. Writing one of these from scratch can be time-consuming and cumbersome if you don't know what to look for. What I offer to my clients is a template to help speed up the process and to assist in focusing on the problem areas. I have taken the most difficult part of the equation and turned it into a task which takes minutes to complete.

2) Appoint a Security Officer to oversee the implementation of the Company's Security Policy and to update the policy when needed.

3) Your employees need to be trained on how they handle non-public information and have them sign a confidentiality agreement. Not only is this is the easiest part of the whole arrangement in my mind, it is the most critical because it ties all three components together to create a "Culture of Security" in your workplace.

This law makes sense in the aspect that all employees are on the same page when it comes to non-personal information and how it is handled. With more than half of the identity theft here in the U.S occurring in the workplace and the amount of the fines that are associated with a breach of information this regulation just makes sense to a company's bottom line.

Identity Theft Prevention Tips - All Internet Users Need To Know

If you are a frequent internet user, then you should definitely be concerned about identity theft. Every year 10 million people fall victim to identity theft. You can avoid becoming a victim by not giving out your personal information and making sure your computer is properly protected.

Whatever you do online, make sure you refrain from giving out your personal information to people who you don't know. If you receive an email from your bank or other financial institution asking for information, do not click on the link in the email. Call the bank or institution or enter their web address in your internet browser directly. Financial institutions should not be requesting information through email. If yours does, then you may want to consider closing your account and switching to a different institution.

When making a purchase online, do not enter your credit card information unless you are on a secure internet page. A secure internet page can be identified by an "https" prefix to the web address instead of the typical "http" prefix. Many times you will also notice a symbol of a closed padlock to indicate a secure webpage as well.

You can further prevent online identity theft by choosing difficult-to-crack passwords. You should use passwords with a mixture of numbers, capital letters, and lowercase letters and symbols at least eight characters in length, but the more the better. Make sure you avoid using the same password for every site. Instead, write the websites and their usernames and passwords down on a piece of paper and keep it in a safe and inconspicuous yet accessible place. Just make sure you do not save them as a file on your computer. As a matter of fact, make sure you do not store any personal information such as credit card numbers or social security numbers on your computer, cell phone, or other electronic device.

You also want to make sure your computer protection software is up to date. It is imperative this day in age to have good antivirus, anti-spyware and firewall installed and constantly updated. You can find a lot of good free software out there that will perform these tasks just fine, but many of them do not update automatically. For ultimate online protection, it is usually worth the price to purchase a good internet security system. This will ensure your computer security, and your private information is kept up to date.

Now that you know how to prevent becoming a victim of online identity theft, it's time to put these methods to use. Just remember, be very skeptical about strange emails and make sure you make purchases from a trusted, secure website. It is also a good idea to use many difficult-to-crack passwords and ensure your computer protection software is up to date. By following these methods you can significantly lower your chance of being one of the 10 million yearly victims of identity theft.

Malpractice Attorneys - Because You Have Rights Against Malpractice

It was in 1994 that the term malpractice attorney was coined, and it was in response to the increasing number of victims who suffered from the negligence of doctors and other hospital staff. These attorneys fight for the injustice done to their clients who suffer from either malpractice or negligence of the doctors, employed during medical procedure. It is really unfortunate as people, when injured or suffering from a disease go to a private doctor hoping for the best possible treatment. They shell out huge amount of money for their treatment, but find themselves afflicted with another injury or ailment when they return from the hospital. There have been horrific cases of doctors forgetting surgery instruments inside the bodies of the patients, and it is only when the patients become serious because of their lapse do they come to realize their blunder.

If a person receives injury or permanent disability because of lapses on the part of the doctor during a medical procedure, he is protected under the law to fight for the injustice done to him and he can press claims under malpractice laws against the erring doctor or the person he thinks is responsible for his injuries. Malpractice attorneys are specialists who understand the implications of the related laws and seek compensation for their clients who have been injured in this fashion. It is because of the efforts of these experts that thousands of victims of malpractice have received compensations in terms of not only money but also free treatment of the injuries that they received because of the malpractice.

Malpractice in the field of medicine is preventable as it takes place when the practitioner does not perform his duty at the highest level of perfection or when he has a lapse in concentration. Though no amount of compensation can pay for the mental and physical losses suffered by the victims of medical malpractice, the money heals some of the mental wounds in the sense that he feels that he received justice in some way. This compensation also comes in handy as the victim can easily undergo treatment for his injuries elsewhere.

If you or any of your relatives or friends has suffered due to medical malpractice, you should immediately contact a competent malpractice attorney. These attorneys can be found in the yellow pages or you can search for them through internet. Before appointing a malpractice attorney, make sure that he is a thorough professional and has won malpractice cases before. You can also go by the advice of your friends who may have undergone malpractice injury themselves.

Sometimes, the case is very complicated as when the victim has undergone any surgery and it becomes difficult for the malpractice attorney to pinpoint the lapse or negligence of the doctor. Remember to disclose all minute details during the time you were hospitalizes and also all the papers that you may have signed before your operation. Malpractice attorneys are experts in their field but need all your help to get you compensation if you are a victim of malpractice.