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According to a recent survey by The Ponemon Institute, six percent of Americans have been victims of medical identity theft.  This problem, while seemingly small, is on the rise and is increasingly costly patients, doctors and the larger healthcare economy.  Unless action is taken to secure our medical records, medical identity theft will become more prevalent as records begin to be digitized and move online.

Microsoft gets it right and this time it’s not Windows 7, but managing our identities online.   Scott Charney, Microsoft Corporate VP of Trustworthy Computing, addressed the RSA Security Conference in San Francisco this week and reiterated the importance of using real-world identity proofing to establish one’s digital identity.  Because criminal and nefarious activity online is so extensive, impacting consumers, corporations, and government, knowing with whom you are doing business is essential for both security and privacy protection.

This past December, a report to the Department of Homeland Security, on E-Verify, found the system has significant problems; wrongly verifying over half of the unauthorized worker population, a failing grade by any academic standard.

Healthcare in the United States is a mess and people, in both the public and private sector, are trying to find solutions. One of the most promising solutions is not a big overarching change, but something small enough to fit in your wallet.

Malicious software known as the Kneber botnet was discovered to have hacked more than 75,000 computer systems in 2500 companies and organizations around the world.  The Kneber botnet is the largest known cybersecurity breech damaging the integrity of personal, corporate, and government information systems.

“Our Nation’s security and economic prosperity depend on the stability and integrity of out Federal communications and information infrastructure.”  (FY 2011 Budget)