Stealing the Network: How to Own an Identity

CHAPTER 12 Social Insecurity

By Tim Mullen

There is a reason that identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the world: It’s easy.

The fact that you are reading this indicates that you are probably technical in nature, or at least security-minded, with an above average intelligence. Why else would you be interested in a book like this?

But the typical human engaged in identity theft is not. While the upper echelon may indeed have some skills, most likely they have attained the product of their crime because of someone else’s lax security, or through a broker. These people are criminals, and criminals for a reason. They are lazy, and want to do things the easy way. It’s the age-old algorithm:

Lazy criminals + Easy Money = Crime Spree.

As ...