DHI has been in the news...
Check out the article on DHI and DHI advertisement in City and Mountain Views !
Also, DHI is featured in the Business Happens column in the March edition of Colorado Serenity.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
ID Theft from your Mail Box
One of the most common practices for a thief to steal your identity is to steal your mail.
A good security step is to use a locked mailbox.
However, with Lock Bumping, the security step of using a locked mailbox provides only a minor inconvenience to a thief. Most grouped mailboxes (apartment complexes, HOA mailbox centers, etc.) use a common lock with slight differences in the key for each mailbox. A thief with a master bump key for a group of mailboxes could literally steal hundreds of pieces of mail within a matter of minutes!
What can you do? Contact your HOA or apartment management (or the like) and request that they change the locks to bump-proof locks. However, although a justified cost in your eyes, the management will probably view the current setup as sufficient and not do anything.
Another step would be proactive of your part. Prevent your identity from being stolen before a thief even tries.
How? Please visit the DHI Identity Theft page to learn more.
A good security step is to use a locked mailbox.
However, with Lock Bumping, the security step of using a locked mailbox provides only a minor inconvenience to a thief. Most grouped mailboxes (apartment complexes, HOA mailbox centers, etc.) use a common lock with slight differences in the key for each mailbox. A thief with a master bump key for a group of mailboxes could literally steal hundreds of pieces of mail within a matter of minutes!
What can you do? Contact your HOA or apartment management (or the like) and request that they change the locks to bump-proof locks. However, although a justified cost in your eyes, the management will probably view the current setup as sufficient and not do anything.
Another step would be proactive of your part. Prevent your identity from being stolen before a thief even tries.
How? Please visit the DHI Identity Theft page to learn more.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Technical Info on Lock Bumping
Clicking on this link will take you to a Technical Analysis of Bumping written by security.org. The analysis was written in April 2006.
Why am I posting this? The information on Lock Bumping is "out there" in Cyberspace, available to anyone. I am posting this for the same reason this document was written, "This document addresses the relevant technical issues with regard to the vulnerability of mechanical locks to bumping and the security threat that results. Law enforcement agencies, security professionals, locksmiths and the consumer need to understand the issues in order to accurately gauge individual risks."
It is technical in nature and very informative.
As I have stated previously, please take any appropriate actions you feel are necessary to protect you, your family, and your assets.
From the DHI perspective, this topic offers a reminder that a home inventory is important. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Why am I posting this? The information on Lock Bumping is "out there" in Cyberspace, available to anyone. I am posting this for the same reason this document was written, "This document addresses the relevant technical issues with regard to the vulnerability of mechanical locks to bumping and the security threat that results. Law enforcement agencies, security professionals, locksmiths and the consumer need to understand the issues in order to accurately gauge individual risks."
It is technical in nature and very informative.
As I have stated previously, please take any appropriate actions you feel are necessary to protect you, your family, and your assets.
From the DHI perspective, this topic offers a reminder that a home inventory is important. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Identity Theft
I have known a few friends and associates who have experienced this most unpleasant crime. As you probably know, it is the fastest growing and most prevalent crime in the US. Fixing your identity after the fact takes an average of 177 hours and over 2 years in time.
There are various remediation, credit monitoring, and insurance companies dedicated to identity theft services. However, all of these companies address the identity theft problem after the fact - that is, after your identity has been stolen.
Recently, DHI has become affiliated with a company that takes a proactive approach to this subject. The company is called LifeLock and my family is a client of theirs. I have included my children ... young people are more vulnerable to identity theft than adults because most have not established credit records that can be monitored.
In a nutshell, LifeLock offers a $1,000,000 Guarantee that its services will protect your identity from being stolen. The LifeLock service costs $10/month (a little less with an annual subscription.)
To learn more, please visit the DHI Identity Theft page. (Yes, DHI earns a few nickels in this manner).
However, whether you go through DHI or not, I urge you to consider this service. Additionally, please continue to keep a vigilant eye on your personal information and shred any important (and unimportant) documents containing personal information.
There are various remediation, credit monitoring, and insurance companies dedicated to identity theft services. However, all of these companies address the identity theft problem after the fact - that is, after your identity has been stolen.
Recently, DHI has become affiliated with a company that takes a proactive approach to this subject. The company is called LifeLock and my family is a client of theirs. I have included my children ... young people are more vulnerable to identity theft than adults because most have not established credit records that can be monitored.
In a nutshell, LifeLock offers a $1,000,000 Guarantee that its services will protect your identity from being stolen. The LifeLock service costs $10/month (a little less with an annual subscription.)
To learn more, please visit the DHI Identity Theft page. (Yes, DHI earns a few nickels in this manner).
However, whether you go through DHI or not, I urge you to consider this service. Additionally, please continue to keep a vigilant eye on your personal information and shred any important (and unimportant) documents containing personal information.
Lock Bumping
DHI keeps abreast of current news stories that are applicable to the Documentation, Preservation and Protection of your assets.
Please take note of Lock Bumping and how it might affect you. Take the appropriate precautions you think may be necessary to protect yourself and your assets. Additional suggestions from DHI include keeping your home inventory current and the use of DataDots, a state-of-the-art asset identification technology.
Lock Bumping is a crime technique that allows criminals to open 90% of ordinary key locks with an modified ordinary key. All the criminal needs is a file to modify a key and an object (screwdriver handle or hammer) to "bump" the key in the lock.
Please see the news report that is posted on the DHI website on this subject.
Please take note of Lock Bumping and how it might affect you. Take the appropriate precautions you think may be necessary to protect yourself and your assets. Additional suggestions from DHI include keeping your home inventory current and the use of DataDots, a state-of-the-art asset identification technology.
Lock Bumping is a crime technique that allows criminals to open 90% of ordinary key locks with an modified ordinary key. All the criminal needs is a file to modify a key and an object (screwdriver handle or hammer) to "bump" the key in the lock.
Please see the news report that is posted on the DHI website on this subject.
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