by Rob Douglas

Tim Wilson over at DarkReading has a piece titled Study: Identity Theft, Organized Retail Crime On The Rise that should serve as a wake-up call for everyone working on security issues in the coming year.

The article is based on a study by the Urban Institute’s Justice Policy Center.  According to Wilson:

The report projects increases in identity theft, organized retail crime, and new terrorist attacks. “In the next five to 10 years, identity theft and fraud will continue to be the fastest growing crimes,” it states. “However, the nature of identity theft is likely to shift to more organized, high-stakes, global attacks.”

Further:

The report also encourages security managers to build honeypots and honeynets to collect data on attackers’ methods and weapons. “This strategy can serve as an early detection systems for possible intrusions and help security professionals identify attack vectors,” it says.

As there is little doubt that organized crime is fully engaged in identity theft now, security managers will need to re-double their efforts in a battle that is bound to grow.