Use Identity Management Day to Protect Yourself and Your Business

Identity Management Day has only been around since 2021. So you can be an early adopter this year and use it to better protect yourself and your business. How? We’ll get into that momentarily.

First, let’s cover some basics. Then we’ll dive into what you can do as an individual and in your business.

What is Identity Management Day and Why Should Anyone Care?

You have a digital identity. Whether you know about it or not, there are massive amounts of personal data about you online. And that data is incredibly valuable to cybercriminals.

This data comes from email and social media accounts, your search engine history, entertainment or shopping accounts, plus public records, and more.

It may seem innocent enough—you get targeted ads of goods and services that companies think you’ll be interested in buying—but your data can be used for a lot more than shopping.

Imagine a detective or mystery-type TV show:

A crime happens, but no one seems to know why. Susie Schoolteacher loved her kindergarten class, had no surviving relatives, and no romantic relationship. So why did she suddenly turn up dead in her living room?

The cops will naturally start by talking to her neighbors and employer, but since Susie kept to herself for the most part, they don’t get any leads. What do they do next?

At this point, they begin looking at her online accounts and browser history. Did she make any new connections recently or search for dangerous or illegal items that could have put her in contact with criminals? Did she change her purchasing patterns or posting frequency? Did she open any new accounts or receive any strange messages?

There’s a lot they can learn from her digital footprint.

Criminals can, too.

In real life.

With your data.

Take, for example, those social media quizzes of your favorite color, first car, and ‘6 things you may not know about me.’

Sure it’s fun sharing those with your friends, but when you’re posting online, it’s not just among your friends. No matter what your privacy settings are. And those topics are often used as security questions protecting your accounts. That information can also be used to crack weak passwords.

As the lines between our personal and professional lives continue to blur, protecting our digital identities as consumers, employees, or partners is essential to security.

According to the Identity Defined Security Alliance, 79% of organizations have experienced an identity-related security breach in the last two years. And according to the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, 61% of all breaches were a result of stolen credentials, whether through social engineering or brute force attacks.

Identity-related breaches are making headlines almost every day, leading to expensive clean up costs and reputational damage. Identity Management Day is a reminder to make identity management and digital identity security a priority, empowering organizations and consumers to reduce the risk of experiencing a data breach and potentially damaging data loss.

Still not convinced this matters to you? Check out these statistics (click the image to enlarge):

When is Identity Management Day and How is it ‘Celebrated’?

This year, Identity Management Day is April 12, 2022. It is held annually on the second Tuesday of April.

It brings together security leaders, vendors, and advocates to raise awareness, share best practices, and inspire individuals – and organizations of all sizes – to take action when it comes to effectively managing and securing digital identities.

There is a virtual conference you can join for free, and information will be shared by agencies and private companies all across the nation on social media with tags #BeidentitySmart and #idmgmtday2022. As a Champion for the event, we’ll be posting on Facebook and LinkedIn as well.

We recommend celebrating Identity Management Day by clicking on the buttons below, both for your personal protection and to strengthen your business.

Here’s the bottom line in the words of Julie Smith, Executive Director of the Identity Defined Security Alliance:

“Weak or improper identity management increases risk. The vast majority of data breaches making headlines are the result of poor identity management. SolarWinds, Colonial Pipeline…the list goes on. These breaches often leverage weak identity management, such as weak or previously compromised passwords, not leveraging multi-factor authentication and single sign-on or leaving standing privileges open.”

That puts individuals at risk as well as the companies they work for.