July 25, 2005

Purdue brings computer security methods to community

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A Purdue University information technology security expert is joining forces with a local detective in two seminars to teach the public ways to prevent identity theft.

Senior Purdue inforensics analyst Scott Ksander and Lafayette Police Department Detective Jeff Rooze will present "Identity Theft and How to Prevent It" at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 3, at the West Lafayette Public Library and then at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 9, at the Lafayette Savings Bank building at Second and Columbia streets in downtown Lafayette. Both sessions are free and open to the public.

The community seminars will address technology threats, including spamming, spoofing and phishing. Spoofing is gaining unauthorized access to a computer using an IP address indicating the message is coming from a trusted host. Phishing is sending an e-mail falsely, claiming to be a legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that could be used for identity theft. These abuses, according to the American Bankers Association, cost consumers, businesses and banks $53 billion a year.

Ksander describes the problem as huge and growing.

"Smart people fall for this daily," Ksander said. "You need to be aware and diligent – that's what we're going to be talking about."

Ksander said one of the biggest keys is using the common sense that people employ in everyday life.

"If a man came to your door, said he was from your bank, and asked you to provide your account number so he could check to make sure your account had not been compromised, you wouldn't give him the information no matter how nice a guy he said he was. Unfortunately, people are doing exactly that in the virtual world every day."

The seminars are sponsored by Lafayette Savings Bank.

Writer: Jim Schenke, (765) 494-6262, jschenke@purdue.edu

Source: Scott Ksander, (765) 496-8289, ksander@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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