Thursday, January 26, 2006

ChoicePoint penalty - not enough, but at least it's something

ChoicePoint has finally been punished for last years' sale of over 150,000 consumer records to an organized crime ring. The total penalty consists of a $10 million fine and an order to set up a $5 million fund to help victims of identity fraud.

ChoicePoint probably has this much money sitting in the soft-drink machines around corporate headquarters, so this isn't exactly a crippling blow. I'm disappointed, but not as much as I expected to be. In truth, I expected el zippo in terms of punishment.

This ain't enough, but it's a start.

And the real lesson is: It's up to each of us to protect our own identity. The big boys don't care about you.

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