As technology advances, more facets of our lives are being consistently influenced by interactions in the digital realm. Everything from connecting with friends to delivering consumer messages is now best conducted all or in part on the Internet. And, as our information is being transmitted across the globe, there is no guarantee that confidentiality will be preserved.

The cyber security industry is comprised of many different facets, each with an important role to play in the fight against online identity theft and identity fraud. Topics ranging from the latest in transaction protection software to known vulnerabilities and software patches are available across countless publications and blogs. But as important as it is, consumer protection, which is largely out of the control of any one business, receives little coverage. This is because, as a topic, consumer protection sits on the cusp between its own unique range of issues and its importance as a part of the business fraud protection cycle. Every business should keep in mind that fraud prevention truly begins with the security level of your customers’ online interactions.

Prepaid Expo USA is one of the foremost exhibitions of excellence in the prepaid financial industry. Needless to say, anyone in attendance will have an abundance of valuable information to sort through once the event is over, so that they can make informed decisions about which products are best for their business to prevent identity theft and identity fraud. EVS feels that while an enriching interactive experience with the product and informative literature for later review make for a quality trade show experience, the most knowledgeable decisions are made after seeing a product demonstrated right where it will be implemented—your office.

Staying up-to-date on cyber security measures can be a difficult task—hackers, scammers, and other cybercriminals find ways to exploit popular software to commit both business and consumer Internet fraud on a daily basis. Now, in the aftermath of the cyber attacks on Google and 20 other major American technology companies using the Internet Explorer (IE) exploit “0-Day,” Microsoft is urging all consumers to upgrade their operating systems and Web browsers in order to avoid being targeted.

In times of great need, there will always be those who take advantage of the generosity of others. This week’s tragic Haitian earthquake is no exception. Genuine charitable relief funds have successfully raised millions to help those struggling to recover; while no specific scams have been named as of yet, past tragedies have shown that fraudulent “charities” will inevitably surface to exploit those looking to help, resulting in identity fraud.

Exploits and vulnerabilities in commercially available software products are addressed in a cycle of trial and error that is common to the software industry. Errors are often discovered and disclosed by independent research firms and then reported back to the original product vendor for patching. This cycle of testing and correction usually leads to the repair of exploitations used by hackers and cyber criminals to conduct identity theft, identity fraud, and illicit business online. However, according to Brian Krebs of krebsonsecurity.com, one research firm has announced that it has lost patience with the vendors it has been servicing and will release its database of undocumented software exploits to the public between now and February 1.

One of the major components of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Red Flags Rule is going beyond integration of a fraud prevention security measure and adequately training all applicable staff members for the system’s proper operation. Undertrained staff can often miss opportunities to detect and isolate identity theft red flags.

The New Year promises to be one of many challenges for all facets of the business world. Fraud prevention and security issues are already at the forefront of 2010 planning for many businesses, especially for organizations providing banking and financial services. The focus comes with little surprise, as fraudsters and cybercriminals so often target those within the financial sector. For this reason, the importance of enhanced security, comprehensive federal compliance and fraud prevention services for these organizations cannot be emphasized enough.