Blog Elements

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Understanding and Protecting Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

2012-07-09/0 Comments/in General Security/by Lwilliams

What is Pii? It is Personally Identifiable Information (PII), a term used in information technology sector to describe information about an individual that could potentially identify that person, such as a name, email address, street address, telephone number or social security number or other biometric data, number.

HOPE Number 9 will be taking place on July 13 to 15, 2012 at the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City

2012-07-07/0 Comments/in Conference/by SecurityOrb_Staff

HOPE Number Nine will be taking place on July 13, 14, and 15, 2012 at the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City. H.O.P.E. stands for Hackers On Planet Earth, one of the most creative and diverse hacker events in the world. It’s been happening since 1994. Keynotes include William Binney and The Yes Men.

Understanding and Protecting Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

2012-07-09/0 Comments/in General Security/by Lwilliams

HOPE Number 9 will be taking place on July 13 to 15, 2012 at the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City

2012-07-07/0 Comments/in Conference/by SecurityOrb_Staff

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Understanding and Protecting Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

2012-07-09/0 Comments/in General Security/by Lwilliams

What is Pii? It is Personally Identifiable Information (PII), a term used in information technology sector to describe information about an individual that could potentially identify that person, such as a name, email address, street address, telephone number or social security number or other biometric data, number. The abbreviation PII pronounced pii is widely accepted, but the phrase it abbreviates has four common variants. Again PII can be any identifiable information however in accordance with Information Security arena these four distinctive characteristics should be protected and encrypted because used together can give up your identity.

Full Name
Birthdate,
SSN,
Address

Not a new term but it is increasingly growing awareness due to the amount of identity thefts. Also the internet has made it easier to collect PII through breaches of internet security, network security and web browser security, leading to a profitable market in collecting and reselling PII. PII can also be exploited by criminals to stalk or steal the identity of a person, or to plan a person’s murder or robbery, among other serious crimes.

As a response to these threats, many website privacy policies specifically address the collection of PII, and lawmakers have enacted a series of legislation to limit the distribution and accessibility of PII. Therefore when dealing with any or a combination of the four items listed above – be vigilant. Don’t share PII over the phone. Legitimate sources will understand your hesitancy about sharing the information.

Additional tips for maintaining PII:

Shred information that contains PII – do not throw in trash

Only share with people on a need to know basis. Don’t give this information out unless it is to appropriate sources – Doctor’s office, your financial institution.

Don’t carry around all your credit cards or Social Security Information. Keep them in a secure location that is water and fire proof.

Remember always protect your PII.

HOPE Number 9 will be taking place on July 13 to 15, 2012 at the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City

2012-07-07/0 Comments/in Conference/by SecurityOrb_Staff

There are three scheduled speaker tracks. Talks begin at 10am Friday morning, July 13, and end Sunday evening with Closing Ceremonies.

Workshops and Hacker Space Village scheduling grids are available! Classes, workshops, and many hands-on experiences are scheduled, and there is still room for more. Visit the Call for Hackerspaces for more information, or to submit a proposal.

The HOPE Number Nine Speaker Schedule is available. Check out talk names, abstracts, and speaker biographies.

At every HOPE conference, we have a wide variety of vendors that are of interest to hackers. Do you have something to sell, exhibit, or otherwise share with attendees at HOPE Number Nine? We’re making available a limited number of tables for folks who want to be able to display or sell their wares. These tables will be located in a highly-trafficked area of the Penn Plaza Pavillion on the second floor of the hotel.

For HOPE Number 9, vendor tables cost:
$395 while tables are available – DEADLINE IS SUNDAY, JULY 8TH

Discounted rates are available for non-profit or personal projects.

Volunteer

Are you a HOPE veteran who wants to get more involved with the conference this year? Is this your very first HOPE conference and you have no idea what to expect?

You can help run the show! Get a new perspective on a conference you’ve attended and loved or show up with no direction at all and meet some really awesome people.

We’re looking for volunteers in the following areas:

Setup: On Thursday, July 12th, we’re stringing cables, setting up lighting, audio, and video equipment, building art installations, and getting the conference ready for several thousand attendees. Being on the setup crew is a great way to meet organizers and other volunteers – both old regulars and brand new faces – and to get acquainted with the conference before it starts!
Audio/Video: Our A/V gurus are seeking volunteers to operate sound boards, lighting consoles, projectors, and video cameras during the talks. Volunteers are needed to help set up the gear and to help maintain it over the course of the weekend.
Information Desk: Lost? Volunteers are needed to help provide orientation and information to fellow attendees, as well as disseminate vital schedule and event updates.
Special Ops: Things change, problems arise, and we need volunteers to be available to help solve these unforeseen problems and assist in other volunteer areas. Examples include errands-running, message passing, and filling in for other volunteers who need a brief break.

If you have a particular skill or interest and would like to get involved, or just want to know more, send an email to volunteers@hope.net. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY!