Systems Plan for Combating Identity Theft – A Theoretical Framework

The Internet has made it easier for individuals and organizations to communicate and conduct business online. At the same time, personal, commercial, and government information has become a target for identity theft. The incidences of identity theft have increased substantially in the Internet age. Increasing news reports of bank/credit cards theft, as-sumed identity for economical and criminal activities has created a growing concern for individuals, businesses, and governments. As a result, it’s become an important and urgent task for us to find managerial and technical solutions to combat identity fraud and theft. Solutions to identity theft problem must deal with multiple parties and coordinated ef-forts must be made among concerned parties. This paper is to provide a comprehensive view of identity theft issue from system planner’s perspective. The roles of identity owner, issuer, checker, and protector, are examined to provide a starting point for organizational and information systems design.