“But you don’t know if he used it legitimately somewhere and then their system got breached somewhere down the line,” he added. “It’s very hard sometimes for people to draw the straight line back to where info got lost.”
How the Warren man’s personal data was compromised is not known for sure, but in many other cases, that personal information is treated as a commodity in a vast, illicit market.
“I think it’s very clear that people understand that data is the coin of the realm in cyber crime,” Kaiser said. “The organized crime around these is highly disciplined.”
“It’s a multi-layered system of monetizing the data, which can result in anything from identity theft to a more of an account takeover situation,” Kaiser said.
‘Not prepared’
Private corporations aren’t alone, as the government has several agencies dedicated to addressing cyber security threats, such as the FBI’s Cyber Crime Division for domestic issues and the National Security Agency for foreign communications.
Rep. Rogers said that under current law, the National Security Agency is unable to assist a private business with cyber security threats from abroad until the business becomes a victim. Put simply, he said, it’s comparable to police knowing about a home invasion in advance but not legally being able to act on it until it plays out.
“Under current law, if the NSA sees something nasty approaching, they’re allowed to protect the government network and they let it fly,” Rogers said. “These guys knock on your door the next day and say ‘You have a real problem and we’re here to help.’ ”