The Identity Theft Council Receives Highly Acclaimed Editor's Choice Award in 2011 SC Awards U.S.

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- RSA CONFERENCE 2011 -- The Identity Theft Council (ITC), a community-based identity theft victim support and education initiative, today announced it has been chosen as Editor's Choice within the Professional Awards of the 2011 SC Awards U.S. The award, recognizing the Identity Theft Council's outstanding achievement in helping victims of identity theft, was announced on February 15, 2011 at the SC Awards Gala, held in conjunction with the annual RSA Conference in San Francisco. With 31 subcategories and three major award themes -- Reader Trust, Excellence and Professional -- the 2011 SC Awards U.S. serves as both a benchmark and a validation for those security professionals and companies dedicated to combating today's evolving threat landscape.

"Identity theft is a complex crime that most consumers are not equipped to battle alone, and unfortunately, most identity theft cases end up at the bottom of the stack of police reports as more urgent local crimes take precedence," said Neal O'Farrell, founder and executive director of the ITC.  "We launched the ITC with the help of our co-founder, Intersections Inc., to provide identity theft victims with a local support network they can turn to for help in recovering from this often devastating crime and to provide ongoing identity theft education. We are proud to be recognized by SC Magazine with this award and that our effort to generate awareness of identity theft among consumers has not gone unnoticed."

The Identity Theft Council was founded by Neal O'Farrell in 2010 as a community-based initiative that takes a grassroots approach to bring awareness and resolution to identity fraud crimes.  The ITC's identity theft resolution counselors are local volunteers that are specifically trained to assist identity theft victims in their community. Through the ITC's peer-to-peer education programs, it is helping tackle the problem of identity theft at every level -- in the schools with its Junior Counselors program, with seniors through its partnership with the Elder Financial Protection Network (EFPN), and in the community as a whole.

The program brings together consumers of all ages, members of the community and ITC partners by connecting the dots of four core areas of education. The ITC strives to help consumers make the connection between identity theft and online privacy, financial literacy, community service, and ultimately the career and internship opportunities it could provide for younger age groups. A key component of the ITC's mission is its Junior ITC program. The program strives to educate younger generations about the importance of identity theft awareness and protection. It helps younger consumers connect identity theft prevention with other aspects of their lives with the hope that they will become future messengers and educators about the growing threats and risks.

"Intersections has a long history of consumer education and awareness when it comes to identity theft, so when we learned about the ITC, it was a natural fit to support this effort," said Michael Stanfield, CEO and Chairman of Intersections Inc., a leading provider of identity theft protection services and co-founder of the ITC. "We work hard to do our part in bringing awareness to the issues surrounding identity theft, and feel strongly that consumers should be their own advocate. The ITC strives for the same educational goals.  We are proud to see ITC's efforts get recognized with this prestigious award."

The winners in the Professional Awards category of the 2011 SC Awards U.S. were chosen by a panel of esteemed security professionals from the private and public sector. These individuals were hand-picked by SC Magazine's editorial team for their information security leadership and knowledge. Through this analysis, the Identity Theft Council was determined as the winner in the Editor's Choice Award.

Now in its 14th year as the information security industry's most prominent accolade, the annual SC Awards showcase the best solutions, services and professionals while recognizing achievement and technical excellence. SC Magazine distinguishes the achievements of the security professionals in the trenches, the innovations happening in the vendor and service provider communities, and the passionate work of government, commercial and nonprofits -- all working to help improve global security. For more information and a detailed list of categories and winners, please visit www.scmagazineus.com/awards.

About the Identity Theft Council

Established in early 2010 in the San Francisco Bay area, the Identity Theft Council (ITC) is a non-profit, grassroots organization that provides identity theft victims with free, ongoing support and identity recovery assistance in their local communities. The Council is creating a nationwide network of local partnerships between law enforcement, the financial industry, and volunteers in local communities to provide hands-on support for victims of identity theft, help law enforcement provide a more coordinated response, and improve identity theft education and awareness community by community, across the country.

The Council was founded by security expert Neal O'Farrell with the support of local law enforcement and Intersections Inc., a leader in the identity theft protection industry.  National partners of the Council include Intersections Inc., Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the Online Trust Alliance (OTA), Elder Financial Protection Network (EFPN), and ITAC, the Identity Theft Assistance Center. For more information or to become involved in the Identity Theft Council, please visit: http://www.identitytheftcouncil.org/. Follow us on Twitter @IDTheftCouncil or visit our blog at: http://blog.identitytheftcouncil.org/

About SC Magazine

SC Magazine was selected as 2010 Magazine of the Year by the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE). It provides IT security professionals with in-depth and unbiased information through timely news, comprehensive analysis, cutting-edge features, contributions from thought leaders and the best, most extensive collection of product reviews in the business. By offering a consolidated view of IT security through independent product tests and well-researched editorial content that provides the contextual backdrop for how these IT security tools will address larger demands put on businesses today, SC Magazine enables IT security pros to make the right security decisions for their companies. In addition to the monthly print magazine and a vibrant website updated daily, the brand's portfolio includes SC World Congress Conference and Expo, SC Congress Canada, SC Awards U.S., SC Directory and SC Magazine Newswire.

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SOURCE Intersections Inc.