Chris Smith

I’m excited to announce that Privacy Pandemic has been chosen as a finalist for the 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Award by Foreword Reviews, in the Science & Technology (Adult Non-Fiction) category. I want to extend my sincere gratitude to Amplify Publishing Group, the Identity Theft Resource Center – Nonprofit, The Boothe Group, 42West, Athena Ricter, and the experts who contributed […]

Should We Dump the Social Security Number? In my opinion, yes. We should replace the venerable Social Security number (SSN) —not as a financial identifier for things like tax filing, but as the be-all, end-all for identity. The reality is that the SSN was never intended to be the bulwark of our digital identity, and

Ah, the holidays. What a wonderful time to travel, to warmer weather or the slopes. It is also a joyous time for your family, friends, celebrations, and possibly criminals (digital or physical) patrolling your neighborhood, sending you phishing emails or texts, and looking for the perfect opportunity to star in their own version of Home

TITLE INFORMATION PRIVACY PANDEMICHow Cybercriminals Determine Targets, Attack Identities, and Violate Privacy–and How Consumers, Companies, and Policymakers Can Fight Back Christopher A. SmithAmplify Publishing (304 pp.)$30.00 hardcover, $9.99 e-bookISBN: 9781645433934November 7, 2023BOOK REVIEW Tech entrepreneur and author Smith considers the growing threat of cybercrime and offers ways to respond to it, personally and politically. In

I want to thank Maria Bartiromo and the Fox Business Network for the tremendous opportunity to share my story and book #PrivacyPandemic on Mornings with Maria. As President Biden signed an Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence (AI) this week, this was a timely opportunity to share my thoughts on how we as Americans and everyday global consumers should think

For all the chatter and anxiety about artificial intelligence (AI) and the chaos it could unleash in academia, journalism, Hollywood, and politics, one of the quieter yet more ominous uses of the technology has been going on for years: data mining using machine learning. The growing practice of AI data mining has given rise to

HOW CYBERCRIMINALS DETERMINE TARGETS, ATTACK IDENTITIES, AND VIOLATE PRIVACY—AND HOW CONSUMERS, COMPANIES, AND POLICYMAKERS CAN FIGHT BACK Christopher A. SmithAmplify Publishing(305pp)978-1-64543-393-4 Clarion Rating: 4 out of 5 The illuminating technology guide Privacy Pandemic issues proposals for protecting against dangers related to digital crime and unsecured personal data. Startup founder and tech executive Christopher A. Smith’s Privacy Pandemic is a

Like it or not, we all rely on major corporations to provide services and products we need to make our lives better. Unfortunately, one of the pre-conditions of the digital age is that to allow companies to bring us maximum value, we provide them with a great deal of personal data.  When companies are irresponsible

It’s no secret that seniors are among the most common victims of fraudsters. In fact, according to Comparitech, ten percent of U.S. seniors were victims of financial fraud in 2022—a total of about 7.8 million people.  But in the past, when we thought about elders being victimized, we probably thought about mail scams and charismatic

In general, digital identity is an understood concept. However, let’s take a look at a definition from TechTarget.  A digital identity is the body of information about an individual, organization, or electronic device that exists online. Unique identifiers and use patterns make detecting individuals or their devices possible. When I think about my digital identity, how I connect to