May the Fourth Be with Your Identity!

These may not be the droids you’re looking for, but it certainly is the information you need to protect yourself online. Break out your light sabersand prepare to do battle against the Dark Side identity thieves during our upcoming Star Wars themed #IDTheftChat!

Each month, the Identity Theft Resource Center hosts an informative Twitter chat that gives the public, industry experts, and stakeholders alike the opportunity to weigh in on important identity theft-related topics.

This month’s event will be held on Thursday, May 4^th, at 12pm PT/3pm ET, hosted in conjunction with Intel Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance in honor of World Password Day. This month’s topic won’t actually be Ewoks and Tatooine, but will instead focus on best practices for consumers and businesses to secure their information online.

Do you have the Death Star plans locked up in your droid? Probably not. But that doesn’t mean hackers don’t want to find a way in. You don’t have to train like a Jedi to fight back against cybercriminals, though, you just have to join the chat to get up-to-date information on security topics like password authentication, cloud services, and digital wallets.

Join the Twitter Chat:

In order to take part in this free, live event, participants must log into their Twitter accounts and follow the #IDTheftChat hashtag. For your convenience, you may also log into the ID Theft Tweet Deck chat room by going to http://tweetchat.com/room/IDTheftChat after signing into your Twitter account. Also, make sure you type “#IDTheftChat” at the end of each of your tweets so that others may see your comments and questions, even if they’re not following you online.

But May the Fourth isn’t the only day to go up against the Empire safeguard your information, of course. Be sure to follow the ITRC on Twitter (@IDTheftCenter) all year long to stay informed of the latest threats to your identity. Looking to help others join the Rebellion, or just protect their identities?

Spread the word about the May 4^th event with these promotional tweets:

– May the 4^th be with your identity. Join @IDTheftCenter @IntelSecurity @StaySafeOnline for #IDTheftChat on 5/4 at 12 pm PT/ 3pm ET #LayerUp

– Use strong passwords, you must. Join @IDTheftCenter for #IDTheftChat on May the 4^th #PasswordDay #LayerUp

– Join the Light Side on May the 4^th at 12 pm PT/ 3pm ET with @IDTheftCenter @IntelSecurity @StaySafeOnline #IDTheftChat #LayerUp

*No tauntauns were harmed in the making of this chat.

Missed the chat? Read it here! https://storify.com/ITRCSD/may-the-4th-be-with-your-identity-idtheftchat

If you think you may be a victim of identity theft, contact the Identity Theft Resource Center for toll-free, no-cost assistance at (888) 400-5530. For on-the-go assistance, check out the free ID Theft Help App.