The issue of identity theft is quickly coming to be a crisis in our society today. Because of the wide spread use of information technology it is becoming easier and easier for other people to gain access to your vital personal information such as social security numbers and addresses and then use this identity information to open several financial agreements that you may never know about until it is too late. The sad thing is that even if it wasn’t you who used your identity you are still likely to be the one holding the bill at the end of the day.

While several credit card companies are now offering some form of identity theft protection as part of their services, they often fall far short of truly protecting a persons identity. This is where Lifelock comes in. Started by Todd Davis, this company claims to be able to protect anyone against identity theft. Mr. Davis is so confident in his company that he has posted his own social security number on the life lock website. Not only this Lifelocks recent ad campaign shows Mr. Davis handing out sheets of paper with his social security number on them.

Still not convinced? Lifelock also offers a guarantee that if your identity is stolen while a member of Lifelock they will cover you up to 1 million dollars. Between these two things it can be easily assumed that at least Mr. Davis feels you are safe with Lifelock.

Even if you are not a millionaire this product is worth looking into. After all you never know when someone else may decide to be you for a while. You can sign up for Lifelock at www.lifelock.com.

Filling out web forms is never fun, and remembering all your passwords isn’t always easy. RoboForm takes care of both these issues. This software allows you to save and encrypt passwords, keep notes secure, and makes signing up for anything online so much faster.

Using it is fairly simple. Upon installation, you’ll be asked to enter a master password, which you can do at any time. This will be important for keeping the information RoboForm stores secure. If you want RoboForm to remember your login information for various websites, all you have to do is sign into the site normally and click “save” when RoboForm prompts you with the Passcard dialogue. To set RoboForm up to fill out forms, you must input your information to create an Identity. In addition to performing these tasks, RoboForm will encrypt your passwords and keep confidential information secure.

RoboForm is useful for anyone who hates repeatedly inputting information online and doesn’t want to have their browser store it. It is especially useful for people who regularly sign up for paid survey sites, and is actually recommended to them. Plus, its portable, so it can be taken with you from computer to computer. Anyone who wants to keep their passwords and information secure should give RoboForm a go.

RoboForm is available for free and the Pro version is available for $29.95. Get it at www.roboform.com.

For mac users: check out 1Passwd

Many of us have experienced the occasional corporate meeting that seems to make our days longer as the speaker asks questions that no one responds to. Some may compare it to a true Ferris Bueller moment…anyone…anyone? What’s worse is that many individuals are required to join the meeting over the phone; forced to sit and imagine what is being presented.

In this technologically advanced age, there are products that can alleviate the pointless in-person meetings and allow us to continue to do what we do best – work with our computers. 37signals provides several Web-based products to help individuals and companies work better. An excellent online communication program is Campfire (we also review Backpack at this post)
Campfire is a password protected communication tool that allows users to chat, share documents, review files and code and keep track of all of it simultaneously. It is simple to use and you only need a Web browser to use it. The aspects of campfire essentially revolve around chatting. Meetings are simplified with Campfire, allowing you to talk through a protected chat client that automatically dates and categorizes the transcript; eliminating the need for a note-taker. Transcripts are also categorized in a user friendly format, allowing you to search by multiple criterions.

Campfire also allows you to upload files 10MB or less in size; allowing the chatters in your room to view logos, text documents and even code. The three latest files uploaded are conveniently located along the side of the chat screen. This can greatly facilitate the progress of your meeting, allowing you collaborate in an open field. Users are able to view documents close up rather than looking up at a projection screen which should enhance participation.

In regards to participation, in a chat environment, it is beneficial to let users type as they come up with ideas. There is no longer a worry of interrupting others or the inevitable fear of public speaking. If your chatting needs are minimal (four or less chatters at once) then you can use Campfire absolutely free with 10MB of space. If you need more simultaneous chatters or more file space, the price increases – maxing out at $49 per month. The good news is there is no contract to sign and you can change your membership as often as you like. Campfire allows people, miles apart, to work together better and easier than ever. Take a moment to check out www.campfire.com

I have many websites that I am registered to, and after a while it really becomes a hassel trying to remember which username and password I registered with for that particular site. Maintaining identities across multiple websites is difficult. You register at each site, choosing a different username and password. It is tedious and many sites ask for information that you have already provided elsewhere. What if someone has already taken the username you want? It is said that most people end up choosing a username they don’t like, or simply leaving the site without registering.

Of course, there is something out there to make our lives a little easier–OpenID.

OpenID is your passport to all websites requiring a username and password. Once you create your OpenID, you’ll never need to go through the registration process again with sites that support OpenID. Unfortunately, the idea is still a little new, so there aren’t many sites that support OpenID.

Once you find a site that supports OpenID, the login process is fairly simple. I registered my OpenID within a few mintues and traveled to Technorati, which is a site that uses OpenID to claim your own blog. Once you do that, type your OpenID information. The website will redirect you to your OpenID Provider to login. Once authenticated, your OpenID provider will send you back to the website with the necessary credentials to log you in to that site. It may sound like a complicated procedure, but it really isn’t.

There are a few drawbacks of using OpenID however:

• Huge risk of phishing – Sites that claim to support OpenID can, during verification, send you to a page that looks like yours and then steal your password or any other information.

• The spam risk is very high – You can get automated and fake users/robots that logs in to your site and creates suspicious content.

• It’s still new – The OpenID technique is still very new and it doesn’t have enough users or traffic to make it work like a charm. Not to mention, the support for sites.

I would say that OpenID can be a great tool in the future, but it still needs a lot of work. I am able to remember (for now) my usernames and passwords so it won’t be a service I use often.