Challenges of identity theft in the information society.

Identify theft is a growing criminal phenomenon which presents a major threat to individuals, businesses, governments and society in general. It can greatly affect the privacy, security and financial wellbeing of its victims. The growth of this criminal activity has been easily facilitated by the increasing reliance on technology and a global information and communications infrastructure. Consequently it is a prevalent form of cybercrime and causes concerns for the continued use of the internet for electronic commerce and social networking. This paper discusses identity theft with a view to assessing its impact, legislative responses to it and challenges that it brings. The paper argues that greater understanding and awareness of identity theft needs to be created, and that Internet usage requires laws and regulatory authorities, which should span across national boundaries and legal systems. Effecting such laws will require international treaties and conventions between nation states, and the active participation of the international digital community to safeguard the Internetworked information society.

The 3rd International Conference on Legal, Security and Privacy Issues in IT (Sept 3-5, 2008: Prague).