A Letter from the Editor

If you’re planning to go to college next school year, you’re probably pretty busy with applications as deadlines are just around the corner. If college isn’t in your present plan, read on, for the following story can apply to other situations in your life, too.

Imagine this: You have been accepted into your dream college. How do you feel? Are unbearably excited about the possibilities that await you? Now imagine that, as you are making preparations to pay for your tuition in the fast-paced, deadline-driven schedule that is typical of the college application and enrollment process, you discover that you’ve been denied your college loan. Your world, once illuminated with opportunity and hope, fades to grey and starts to crumble. Why have you been denied? Your identity has been stolen. You find out that tracking down the thief can take 6 months, or 200 hours. Panic sets in. Your mind whirls: Will you have to work an extra job? Will your parents have to go through extra trouble for you? Will you even be able to go straight to college?

Unfortunately, this scenario is not imaginary, but an example of a problem that has been growing more common in the past decade: teen identity theft is on the rise. Contrary to what you might think, teens are common targets of identity theft because of our clean credit scores and uninvolvement with major financial transactions--least, for now. That’s why, in this edition of the iDrive newsletter, we will discuss the ways that our information is subject to identity theft as well as preventive actions. To complement this cyber-security theme, you’ll be empowered to take initiative with 8 tips to prevent identity theft. You’ll also learn how you can enter into the ever-growing field of Cyber Security (which could position you for a potentially lucrative career).Our iDrive Student Advisory Board has a special message for you as we wrap-up October’s Cyber Security Awareness Month. Lastly, we’ll look forward to November’s National Kindness Day and International Day of Tolerance as, in news headlines and on social media, we are constantly seeing challenges with regard to empathy, tolerance and respect.

Be empowered,

iDrive Editor

In this Edition:


	Featured Article \| A Pothole in Your Pathway: Teen Identity Theft: Identity theft — uttering this term evokes images of an unknown, middle-aged individual wearing a sinister ski mask while sifting through strands of computer code to grab a hold of Granny’s credit card number that she has entered on a spoofed Website. Think that identity theft is just for “old folk?” Think again. Discover why teens are prime targets for this online crime. Go To Article →

	Featured Article \| A Pothole in Your Pathway: Pieces of Information Consider how much information you share on your social media profile and in your posts. Are you aiding in your own identity theft by giving away pieces of information? Go To Article →

	Featured Article \| A Pothole in Your Pathway: Open Sesame Find out how your online actions can allow a devious individual to access your account as easily as saying “Open Sesame.” Go To Article →

	Featured Article \| A Pothole in Your Pathway: Social Media Privacy Pointers Whether you are shopping online or interacting with friends on social networks, you hold the key to protecting your identity. Take note of these Social Media Privacy Pointers. Go To Article →

	iDrive Agent: 8 Tips to Prevent Identity Theft on Social Media: Continuing with the October theme of Cyber Security, here are 8 tips to prevent identity theft on social media. As an iDrive Agent, you can share these tips on social media, too. Go To Article →

	iDrive Student Advisory Board: Advocate for Cyber Security & Education: Once you know about how cyber security can affect your future as well as the security and privacy of student information in your own school, you might be wondering what you can do to help. Go To Article →