There once was a time when the average consumer associated identity theft simply with buying a nifty shredder at Office Depot, shredding personal documents, and being done with it. Those days are over. Nowadays, we hear in the news nearly every single day about some new high-tech scam being used by identity thieves to steal your information and wreak havoc on your financial life. And while many of us may be aware that LifeLock holds an elite spot as the industry leader in identity theft protection, and that identity theft is affecting people all around us, it’s still entirely possible not everyone really understand the in’s and out’s of the nation’s number one crime. (Keep in mind, in the time it took you to read this paragraph, about 10 more people just joined the list of identity theft victims.)

So, in order to continue the ball rolling in increasing identity theft education among all consumers, LifeLock has developed a new program called the LifeLock Speaker Series. With a focus on reaching more people in more places, the program is a series of free educational seminars on identity theft issues and trends.  Each presentation is hosted by a Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist and personally customized to fit the needs of specific groups, such as senior citizens, college and high school students, businesses, and law enforcement organizations, just to name a few. It’s designed so that individuals with similar interests can come together and learn about the latest identity theft trends, the inherent risks associated with the crime, as well as the types of proactive measures all consumers should take in order to minimize their risks of becoming a victim.

LifeLock’s Speaker Series provides consumers with the right tools to begin thinking twice when it comes to handling any and all sensitive personal information. It gives groups of people with a lack of knowledge about identity theft the opportunity to empower themselves. The goal is for consumers to no longer consider shredding papers the primary mechanism for defeating this crime.

Anyone interested in finding out more information about LifeLock’s Speaker Series should e-mail speakerrequest@lifelock.com or contact Cortney Read directly at (480) 457-2032.

On Wednesday, LifeLock and TransUnion announced an agreement to work together -  finally a credit institution with the integrity to not only support people protecting themselves from identity theft, but also help them in whatever means they can to stay safe.  This marks several significant landmarks in identity theft protection for me personally and the nation as a whole.

First the ridiculous lawsuit filed by one of the other credit reporting institution against LifeLock, no more than ever can be seen by the public as more about the respective companies competing services and less about actually what it means to protect people.  Second, with all the different identity theft services popping up all over the country, it is great to see a stand out leader being backed by the cornerstone of protection in this crime, the credit reporting agencies.

Finally, on a more personal note, when I was a victim of identity theft all the credit reporting agencies gave me the run around and seemed more interested in where to send the bills rather than hearing my pleas for help with the exception of one.  Unfortunately it was the last credit-reporting agency I called; however, TransUnion not only helped me understand the specifics of the crime but also was the first of the three to treat me like a person.

With LifeLock and TransUnion teaming up to protect people all over America, my hope for the eventual elimination of the crime is renewed, refreshed, and restored.

It’s astounding to think that back in the day (which was a Wednesday) when I started working here less than 7 months ago LifeLock’s member base was at 350,000. Well, as of last week we’re now over 1,000,000 members (more than doubling our memberships since January)! It goes to show what truly great services LifeLock offers and the incredible people at the company behind it that make this happen!