for kim woods only

Ways of Avoiding Identity Theft

Judus Carter

English/100

August 7, 2017

Julie Pal-Agrawal

Introduction

The fastest growing crime in the world is identity theft. According to a report given by federal bureau of investigation, thieves have resorted to concealing their identities by disguising as others and this has seen it that personal information of over 10 million American has been used wrongly in crime scenes. Missing in-text citation for this statistic. The thieves target the personal information and use it to gain access to individual finances or leave evidence like the smart card at crime scenes to shift the focus from the real proprietors of the crime. The best means of dealing with identity theft is to know how the thieves get to know about your identity. There are several means of dealing with identity theft that include concealing the personal data as well as information, securing the documents with personal information to ensure that they do not get in the wrong hands, and ensuring that the document with personal information that needs to be discarded are properly shredded before being disposed of.

Good job: In academic essays this length, the last sentence of your introduction is usually the most effective place for the thesis statement. What is the main idea of your paper? What will you prove to your reader? Without a clear thesis, your paper may not seem to have a purpose. Your goal is not to discuss everything surrounding this topic; rather, you will want narrow the scope to a main issue and develop paragraphs that then prove or explain the importance or relevance of that issue.

Conceal Personal Information

To begin with, the thieves majorly target the personal information to help in committing their crime. Therefore For one to adequately prevent any chance of experiencing a scenario of identity theft, the first step should be to ensure that the documents containing the personal information are not exposed. This sentence should be your topic sentence. This will ensure that anyone with malicious motive cannot gain access to the personal information as well as the raw data. The attackers find it easy to exploit any form of personal data irrespective of whether it is detailed. This means that every single bit of personal data should not be exposed at any cost except to a second party whereby there is an assurance of confidentiality as well as privacy. This may include individuals such as legal advisors who are guided by the legal duty of care. According to Romain, & and Bjerke, (2005), concealing personal information is not a difficult task and it involves the use of very simple techniques such screensavers when a computer containing open documents is not in use to complex approaches such as data encryption. Concealing personal information can be used on its own as a way of preventing attacks in form of identity theft. Additionally concealing identity can also be used as a complement to other methods making the process even more efficient.

Good job with proper format. The format for an academic argumentative paper should be:

1. Paragraph 1: Introduction provides a general overview. Introduction also ends in a three-point thesis (identifies points A, B, C). Thesis statement is a single, declarative sentence that is the last sentence in the first paragraph. Something like: In order to understand the issue of X, it is important to consider A, B, and C.

2. Paragraph 2: Body paragraph that starts with a topic sentence related to A. Each topic sentence is followed by detail. The final sentence in the paragraph is often a transition sentence into the next paragraph.

Sometimes (atypically) these body paragraphs can be broken up into two, but each topic sentence should be related to one point in the thesis.

3. Paragraph 3: Body paragraph/topic sentence that relates to B

4. Paragraph 4: Body paragraph/topic sentence that relates to C

5. Paragraph 5: Conclusion that includes a restated thesis using fresh language

Securing Documents with Personal Information

Secondly, securing e the documents with personal information to ensure that they do not get in the wrong hands also help in avoiding identity theft. Data breaches aid in propagating identity theft, therefore, putting security measure play a major role in combating the vice. To achieve this, one must ensure that documents containing personal information are secured online and offline. The best ways to protect personal information offline is to ensure that they are safely locked in safe place, empty the mailbox as soon as possible to ensure no unauthorized individual gets their hand on the emails and limit documents being carried around.

In terms of the online security, an individual should avoid sharing personal data online with unknown individuals, use strong passwords and encryption keys and avoid sharing too much information on the networking websites. Furthermore, the documents with personal information can be secured by ensuring that the devices are safe in the case where the documents are soft copies. As indicated by Gordon, Rebovich, & Gordon, (2007), this can be attained by using anti-spyware, a firewall, and an antivirus. Leaving documents lying around in the offices on desks can make one vulnerable to identity theft because everyone an organization is capable of using the information for selfish gains. Due to the dire consequences of identity theft, it is crucial to every technique and tool available to protect the documents containing personal data.

When you are using direct quotes or paraphrase from an outside source in one of your essays, it is important to introduce, present, and then interpret the quote or paraphrase, rather than simply inserting it in the text. Don’t forget the original sentences that are required before and after quotations. Before the quotes, you introduce the content, and after the quote, you explain how it is relevant to the point of your paper. This ensures that the quotes are supporting your thoughts instead of providing them, and it is also how you build up credibility to your paper. Please integrate your sources. This means that you

• have discussion surrounding it regarding how the source fits into your argument

• you transition from the source into the next part of your essay (using words such as therefore, however, etc.

For example, consider these two examples:

Example 1: Brown bears have often been seen straying farther from their habitats in warmer weather. "Bears often look for food near creek beds and streams, far away from their dens" (Abbot, 2009, p. 9). They also roam through grassy fields looking for bugs to eat when other sources of food run low.

Example 2: Brown bears have often been seen straying farther from their habitats in warmer weather. Sharon Abbot (2009), zoologist for the National Park Service, notes that "Bears often look for food near creek beds and streams, far away from their dens" (p. 9). This shows that bears will go to great lengths to find high quality food. They also roam through grassy fields looking for bugs to eat when other sources of food run low.

Shredding Document Containing Personal Information

Finally ensuring that all the documents that contain personal information are properly shredded before disposing of will help in avoiding identity theft. There are a number of reasons why documents are disposed of, however; the most important consideration is on how to dispose of them safely. These documents usually contain some data that can be manipulated to steal an individual’s identity. The best approach that can be used in order to avoid this is to ensure that the documents with personal information are properly shredded before they are disposed of. This is a technique that involves ensuring that data is secure offline. By shredding the documents, those with the intention of stealing an individual’s identity will have a difficult time putting the documents back together and if they try to do so, there is a high probability that they will not get the right information (Ruiz-Sanchez, 2002). Avoid ending a paragraph with source material. First, this does not allow you to comment on the material. Second, you should always begin and end each paragraph with your own voice.

Conclusion

The first step in dealing with the fastest growing crime in the world-Identity theft- knows how and where the individual acquires the information. Since it is the personal information that they use that it can be avoided by concealing the personal data as well as information, securing the documents with personal information to ensure that they do not get in the wrong hands, and ensuring that the document with personal information that needs to be discarded are properly shredded before being disposed.

Work on a catchy and compelling last sentence. The conclusion is the last thing a reader reads and the first thing he or she remembers. For that reason alone, it’s a vital component of an essay. In general, the conclusion echoes and mirrors the introduction. The conclusion often begins with a reminder of the thesis in different words (you don’t want to bore the reader!). Then the paragraph moves beyond summary of what has already been said to include a call to action, to ask and answer a thought-provoking question, to predict the future, or to use a strong quotation and comment on it. The conclusion must help the reader understand the significance of the topic.

I am very proud of all the progress that you have made this term. Please see my comments

1. Good clear thesis: Writing a well-worded thesis is never easy. In thinking about how to improve his or her thesis, the writer considers questions like these: What will I prove to my reader? What is my stance on the controversial issue? What specific reasons do I have for my view on this issue?

2. Work on clear topic sentences that refer to the thesis. The topic sentence relates specifically to the thesis of the composition. Most writers ask themselves this question when composing, what is the point of this paragraph?

3. Good strong paragraph structure: Writers know that logical order and structure are keys to helping readers stay focused on ideas. For this reason, writers work to create sound organizational structure in their paragraphs. They begin each body paragraph with a topic sentence that includes a transition to what came before and that announces the key point, which connects the paragraph topic directly to the thesis of the whole essay. Each paragraph should be developed with facts, examples, quotations, and other details to show and support that connection. Good job with integrating required number of sources

4. Continue to work on integrating sources: you must introduce a source and also explain the significance of a source. Some suggestions about how to integrate sources include (a) introducing a source with a sentence that is the writer’s own thought on the subject matter; (b) introducing and commenting on every quotation, paraphrase, and summary; (c) surrounding resource material with the writer’s own interpretation or opinion; (d) explaining where the material is from and why it is interesting (in other words, telling readers why the source is relevant to the paper) and (e) avoiding ending any paragraph, section, or paper with a quotation.

5. Your sentences are overall clear. Remember: It is important to begin sentences with information that is familiar to readers. It lets readers build up momentum in a sentence, but it depends less on the grammar of the sentence than on the psychology of its reader. We read more easily when we start with simple and familiar information and then build up to new and complex information.

Compare the two below:

a.) Particular ideas toward the beginning of sentences define what sentences are "about." The cumulative effect of a series of repeated subjects indicates what a passage is about, so our sense of coherence depends on subjects of sentences. Moving through a paragraph from a consistent point of view occurs when a series of subjects seems to constitute a coherent sequence. A seeming absence of context for sentences is one consequence of making random shifts in subjects. Feelings of dislocation, disorientation, and lack of focus occur when that happens

b.) .As we read, we depend on the subject of a sentence to focus our attention on a particular idea that tells us what that sentence is "about." In a series of sentences, we depend on repeated subjects to cumulatively tell us the topic of a whole passage. If we feel that a series of subjects is coherent, then we feel we are moving through a paragraph from a coherent point of view. But if we feel its subjects shift randomly, then we have to begin each sentence out of context, from no coherent point of view. When that happens, we feel dislocated, disoriented, and out of focus.

Most of us have a problem with (a) that we do not have with (b).

Each sentence in (a) starts with long abstract subjects and information that to us is newer and less familiar than the information at the end of those sentences. This principle of how to begin a sentence implies how to end it

6. Good Conclusion In addition to restating the thesis (using fresh language), the conclusion also presents a final thought about the issue taking into consideration the many points in the essay.

7. Keep working on any sentence from an outside source having an in-text citation For Exact Quotations: Rule: Introduce the quotation with a signal phrase that includes the author's last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses. Put the page number in parentheses at the end of the quotation. Example: (Davis, 1978, p. 26). Citations for Paraphrase: In general, no quotation marks are required when paraphrasing ideas (Davis, 1978). Be careful to go through all the steps to fully integrate a source.

8. Keep working on transitions--An essay is nothing more than a series of related paragraphs, and a paragraph is a series of related sentences. To help this relationship along, good writers use transitional words and phrases in their writings.

Transitional words and phrases include three devices for joining sentences:

coordinating conjunctions (and, but, yet. or, for, etc.),

The dog barked, so the cat ran.

subordinating conjunctions (because, although, whenever, etc.), and

Because the dog barked, the cat ran.

transitional adverbs (however, moreover, thus, therefore, etc.).

The dog barked; therefore, the cat ran.

Great job. It was wonderful to witness your growth this term. Congratulations on your achievement

References

Gordon, G. R., Rebovich, D. J., & Gordon, J. B. (2007). Identity fraud trends and patterns: Building a data-based foundation for proactive enforcement. Center for Identity Management and Information Protection, Utica College.

Romain, M., & Bjerke, P. (2005). U.S. Patent Application No. 11/139,021.

Ruiz-Sanchez, M., 2002. Methods and apparatus for protecting against credit card fraud check fraud, and identity theft. U.S. Patent Application 10/125,645.