Technology more vulnerable than ever to ID theft

As the world grows more connected, identity theft has become more prevalent and the number of devices through which hackers can access personal information proliferate. Text messages to cars, TVs and now even toilets are all vulnerable to being compromised by criminals.

Security experts are taking a renewed look at how technology has changed our everyday appliances and which seemingly mundane items may now disclose more information about their owners than ever thought possible, MSN News wrote.

"There has never been a time in our society where technology doesn't touch us. With that, it will continue to expand and grow in what we have and security has to be a paramount part in that," David Kennedy, founder and CEO of TrustedSec, told the news source.

For example, hackers are now able to breach certain TVs to turn on their built-in cameras without owners' knowledge. More recently, a luxury brand toilet was compromised, allowing the attacker to force the toilet to repeatedly flush and drive up utility costs.

Robert Siciliano, a personal security and identity theft expert, warned MSN News that any wireless device is now a target and vulnerable to being comprised. However, he did add this that doesn't mean there aren't ways for consumers to protect against seeing their personal information or bank accounts end up in the hands of criminals. As long as individuals stay vigilant and take the necessary precautions, Siciliano said the convenience of these gadgets outweighs the risk.

Some tech-savvy professionals see new technologies as an aide to protecting against identity theft. A recent article from the website Cloud Tweaks suggests the cloud can protect Internet users from data compromises by shifting bank and credit card statements, for example, from easily accessed paper documents to encrypted storage systems.