The INDEPENDENT, May 20, 2004
Some tips on how to protect your
business from identity theft
Identity theft is a real and
growing problem. Recent sta-
tistics show that overall, one in
20 adults, or roughly 12 million
Americans, have fallen prey to
identity theft.
The leading cause of identity
fraud is now theft of business
records. According to the
Federal Trade Commission,
about 90 percent of business-
record thefts involve payroll or
employment records, while
roughly 10 percent involve cus-
tomer lists. Job applications,
payroll records, employee ben-
efits records, and other person-
nel documents can contain
employees’ addresses, social
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security numbers (SSNs), birth
dates, bank account numbers,
and other sensitive data that an
identity thief would want. To
reduce the likelihood of work-
place identity thefts, the follow-
ing actions are recommended:
- Limit the collection of
SSNs. Collect SSNs only when
required to do so by law or
when reasonably necessary for
the proper administration of
lawful business activities.
When possible, use a unique
personal identifier as a substi-
tute for the SSN, particularly on
employee ID cards, badges,
and health insurance cards.
– Do not display SSNs pub-
licly. Don’t put SSNs on docu-
ments that others widely see.
When you’re sending applica-
tions, forms, or documents
legally required to have SSNs
through the mail, place the
SSN where it won’t be revealed
by an envelope window.
– Control access to SSNs.
Limit access to records con-
taining SSNs to only those who
need to see the numbers to
perform their duties, and use
logs or electronic audit trails to
monitor access. Protect SSNs
in electronic storage by using
encryption, and lock up paper
records containing the num-
bers. In short, give SSNs the
maximum protection available,
and consider them to be as
confidential as your employees’
medical records.
– Protect SSNs with security
safeguards. Develop a written
policy for handling, storage,
Banks budget proposals ready for review
Banks tentative budget for
fiscal year 2004-05 allocates
$36,000 for the position of “city
coordinator,” but does not pro-
vide funds for a police chief.
With the failure of repeated
attempts to pass a special
police levy, the city’s general
fund will be tapped by $31,000
and dissemination of SSNs.
– Educate employees on the
dangers of identity theft and
their responsibilities in handling
SSNs. Designate someone to
be responsible for ensuring
compliance.
Identity thieves steal infor-
mation from employers, some-
times bribing employees who
maintain access to information.
They also obtain information by
hacking into computers, sifting
through trash, stealing credit
and debit card numbers,
stealing purses and wallets,
posing as landlords or employ-
ers to access credit information
from credit agencies, stealing
mail (such as pre-approved
credit offers and new checks),
and forging change-of-address
forms to divert your mail to
another location.
– Use password protection
on all your financial accounts,
and create a fictitious password
as opposed to a birth date or
family name. Avoid disclosing
your confidential and financial
information on your home com-
puter or laptop. Periodically
update your computer with the
latest virus protection, and
don’t download files or click on
links from strangers.
to retain two police officers.
The officers will report to the
mayor unless an administrator
or coordinator is hired.
Mayor Bob Orlowski said he
expects the council to put a
new police levy on the general
election ballot in November,
when tax proposals do not
require 50 percent voter
turnout. The existing levy
expires June 30.
According to Orlowski, the
general fund is now strong
enough to help support other
funds. It has been helped with
over $300,000 in unspent
money from the current year,
compared with a $175,000
cash carryover last year. The
city’s proposed general fund is
$613,000 for 2004-05; it was
$571,200 this year.
In the past, money was bor-
rowed from the Traffic Impact
Reserve Fund (TIF) to cover
expenses until tax revenues
were received beginning in
December. The TIF fund is
designed to provide money for
certain
improvements
to
streets and roads. According to
Orlowski, TIF money was not
used for the Oak Way improve-
ments completed a couple of
years ago because the inter-
section improvements were
part of the developer’s respon-
sibility, determined as part of
the permit process. However,
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Orlowski told the committee,
the Sellers Road realignment
and improvements may qualify
for TIF funds.
Budget committee chair Teri
Brandstitr also introduced a
discussion of ways the city may
be able to help reduce insur-
ance costs for city employees,
particularly those with families.
Insurance costs have risen dra-
matically in the last two years,
because of a combination of
factors that include losing the
League of Oregon Cities group
insurance coverage due to the
small number of employees,
and rapidly increasing health
insurance rates.
Brandstitr explained that any
change in city policy regarding
insurance premiums would
have to be made by city coun-
cil, but she felt it was important
for the committee to under-
stand potential impacts on the
budget.
After approval by the budget
committee, the budget must be
adopted by the city council,
which can make some modifi-
cations prior to adoption.
Council can take action to
increase spending up to 10% of
the total amount of the budget.
Any
additional
increase
requires a supplemental budg-
et and the budget committee
must be reconvened.
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