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Privacy is that state in which we are free from disturbance or intrusion into our personal lives. There was once a time in the not too distant past when privacy could be achieved through the simple act of locking our doors or drawing our window shades. But with ever advancing technology and threats of foreign and domestic terrorism which result in increased legislation designed to regulate and manage these risks, America does indeed appear to be in the midst of a privacy crisis.

While the advent of the Internet has offered great benefits to average citizens in terms of providing access to information and ease of communication, it has also opened a Pandora's Box in terms of providing greater opportunities for each of us to fall victim to identity theft and various types of online fraud. A few years ago, I became a victim of identity theft when some online hacker apparently was able to decipher the PIN for my debit card. The online thief then proceeded to purchase all types of merchandise and services online, while I helplessly watched money disappearing from by checking account at an alarming rate. Fortunately my bank was able to intervene and reimbursed me for the missing funds. But the experience left me shaken and somewhat less confident in the security of electronic banking.

Privacy is also a major issue in my work. As an insurance underwriting research analyst I am heavily involved in researching the effects and benefits of the often controversial practice of considering claim history and credit information when determining the price that customers should pay for their automobile and homeowners insurance premiums. A myriad of state insurance laws govern not only the use of credit, but also the format and frequency with which insurers must notify customers regarding the use of this personal information and the steps that companies must take to safeguard this data from being accessed by identity thieves. Gone are the "good old days" when, as young desk underwriters, my colleagues and I would order full credit reports on insurance applicants and leave the paper copies complete with customer social security numbers and dates of birth lying about on the tops of our desks. Now this information is masked, encrypted and never provided to a lowly desk underwriter in its entirety. Instead it is filtered through a mysterious scoring model whose exact components are as closely guarded as the secret to the Colonel's "seven herbs and spices" at KFC.

Sadly,

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