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[kalibex]

ChoicePoint describes itself on its Web site as, "A trusted source and leading provider of decision-making information that helps reduce fraud and mitigate risk. . . Through the identification, retrieval, storage, analysis and delivery of data, ChoicePoint serves the informational needs of businesses of all sizes, as well as federal, state and local government agencies."


Basically, the company collects data on millions of Americans and sells it. We all know that our electronic files are probably stored in a couple of thousand places. We do have a reasonable expectation that our information is secure. That's not always the case. Thursday, the Federal Trade Commission levied a record $10 million fine against ChoicePoint, with an additional $5 million to be used to pay back those who may have lost money due to ChoicePoint's lack of security.


In an alarmingly easy scam, scofflaws stole information stored by ChoicePoint on at least 163,000 people, 2,805 of them in Georgia. And if you're thinking this was simply name, address and phone number stuff, think again. Robert O' Harrow Jr., wrote a book on data piracy, "No Place to Hide." O'Harrow explains in great depth the type of information ChoicePoint and similar companies keep on individuals. Do you have bouts of depression? These data companies know about it. They know whether your tastes lean to whole or 2 percent milk, not to mention your credit score, bankruptcies and bank balances. It's estimated that ChoicePoint has the data of 220 million people. If you're an adult in America, ChoicePoint probably has your data.