Last week, we detailed the ways in which identity theft can strike anyone. As the blog described, living in a lesser known location like Allentown, PA does not mean one is any less susceptible to the crime than a person living in a very urban area like Philadelphia.
Identity theft is awful not just because it is a crime, but because it is a crime that so often takes place right in your own home! Often, we hear tales of one having an identity theft crime committed against themselves involving faulty internet security, or even when a criminal preys upon mail that was not thrown away properly. Unfortunately, the criminals who commit identity theft have found new ways to target and attack their victims -one way, as a security break with a major electronics company has shown us, is through video gaming capabilities.
Video games are not just fun for children anymore. Many adults use gaming consoles to unwind and to stream the internet to download and enjoy not just games, but music, television shows, movies, and more, right on their televisions. Of course, such a luxury comes at a cost, which often involves the electronic transferring of credit card and other banking information. One would think that because video game consoles turned online media centers have become so popular amongst the public and major retailers, the connection when paying for the service would be secure -unfortunately, as a recent Sony case shows us, one is always vulnerable.
In April of this year, the Sony Network was hacked, which led to the private information of over 70 million users being set forth into the world in ways in which the users never agreed to. The Sony Network is comprised of an online gaming arena where users from around the world can play online against each other, as well as the Sony PlayStation store, where users can buy a cornucopia of media to stream on their PlayStations.
According to Pcmag.com, “Sony confirmed that hackers had obtained personal information from the network, which possibly included credit cards. The company later said that credit card information was encrypted, but it could not rule out the possibility that it was obtained by the hackers.”
Obviously, individuals need to be prepared to fight identity theft even when entrusting a major corporation with their personal information. With 70 million users affected in just one case of major identity theft, the crime is quickly becoming ever-present. Prepaid legal aid gives a company’s employees a peace of mind when it comes to their finances; that is, that their finances will remain just that -THEIRS!
When legal aid is added to benefits packages, employees can rest assured that as criminals learn better ways to navigate the internet, their credit is monitored for any suspicious activity 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Furthermore, a prepaid legal benefits program, like one from Countrywide, provides employees with the proper ammunition if their accounts are, somehow, hijacked. Not only can employee relax and continue to use gaming consoles and streaming internet media, but rest assured that if anything unruly was to happen, a team of credentialed attorneys are in waiting, ready to help.