IDENTITY THEFT AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES: THE COST IS ALL YOURS

Despite the vast research on identity theft, little is known about the preventative measures of professionals who work in the information technology/systems sector who also instruct cyber security and information technology courses.The overall image that emerges from the literature is negative: lazy, corrupt, unpatriotic, apathetic con artists who will steal at all costs an individual's identity to use for their personal gain.This study recovers some of the low tech and high tech measures to safe guard one's self against identity theft.A quantitative survey was designed and distributed to information systems/security professionals teaching at a community college in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.An analysis of the survey responses yields the information systems/security professionals own explanations of the methods used to safeguard their personal information from identity theft criminals.This study is part of a growing body of research on safe guard measures against identity theft.In researching professionals in the field who are also instructing course content on these same practices, this project will contribute to future research on similar topics of safe guarding one's identity.