Reports of data breaches increased 47 percent in 2008, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center. The number of breaches reported jumped from 446 in 2007 to 656.

Data breach involves secure information being released on the Internet, transferred to information systems or other non-secure locations.

According to the consumer organization Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a total of 227 million individual records containing sensitive personal information were involved in security breaches in the U.S. between January 2005 and May 2008, excluding incidents where sensitive data were apparently not actually exposed. The ITRC says almost 36 million records were exposed in 2008.

Breaches put people at greater risk for ID theft. The more information exposed, the greater the chance that a person’s identity can be used illegally.

Identity theft involves an impostor obtaining key pieces of personal identifying information such as Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers and uses them for their own personal gain, usually financial.

The California Office of Privacy Protection says there were 8.1 million U.S. residents who were victims of identity theft in 2007. That represents 3.6 percent of adults, including more than a million Californians. The total cost of identity theft in 2007 was $45 billion.

According to various studies, including the FTC complaint study, the 18- to 29-year-old age group accounts for almost 30 percent of all identity theft complaints.

Experts state there are many possible reasons that put younger people at risk. More activity in applying for credit and new accounts, inexperience with monitoring credit, address changes (that leave important documents in other locations during the summer) and use of online networking sites that include disclosure of personal information are a few.

Even with these risks, California law helps to protect youth.

“California colleges have student ID numbers, not Social Security numbers, so this takes away a possible risk area,” said Linda Foley of the ITRC. “Students should know that they don’t have to give out their Social Security number because unless it’s involving financial aid your student ID will do.”

There is also the fact that new technology makes it easier for thieves to steal vital information.

“There is a very outdated view that as long as your wallet isn’t stolen, you won’t be a victim,” said Dawanesha Smith of the Los Angeles County ID Theft Unit, part of the department of Consumer Affairs. “Because of wireless devices, your information can be stolen without you even knowing it.“

Skimming devices can steal your account information, duplicating your credit card number. If not by cash, Smith says credit is a better option than debit because credit cards are more protected by law since debit cards automatically deduct money.

On the positive side, Smith says that the issue is gaining visibility because there are so many threatened a year.

Being proactive is a way to protect sensitive information.

“The dorms and apartments are very open spaces, so you should be careful about what you leave lying around,” said Joanne McNabb of the California Office of Privacy Protection. “Shredding papers that have your date of birth and [SSN] on them, as well as filing them away, is a good plan.“

The financial, banking and credit industries have remained the most proactive groups in terms of data protection over the past few years. The Government and Military category has dropped nearly 50 percent since 2006, moving from the highest number of breaches to the third highest. As the chart indicates, the business community still needs to enhance and enforce data security measures.

ANGELA SWARTZ can be reached city@theaggie.org.

Protect yourself from ID theft

Though there is the risk of ID theft from companies‘ security breaches, there is also a risk of having one’s information taken individually. Experts have tips for college students in particular on how to protect themselves.

1. Don’t give out your Social Security number.

2. Keep documents secure.

3. Try to pay with cash.

4. Review your credit report regularly to catch any suspicious activity: free on annualcreditreport.com.

5. Use safe online practices. Use different passwords for accounts and have up-to-date security software.

6. Opt out of pre-approved credit offers: call 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688). People can use your information from these.

7. Be aware of your environment. Watch your laptop and wallet with personal information.

8. Educate yourself about phishing e-mails and other risks by visiting ITRC’s website (idtheftcenter.org) and others.

The U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame could be moving to Davis.

After the Amgen Bike Tour‘s kickoff in Davis on Feb. 15, and the bike exhibition featured downtown last fall, attracting the Hall of Fame would be a crowning achievement for Davis bike enthusiasts.

Bicycling Hall of Fame officials are currently reviewing applications and will announce the winner sometime in April. The hall is currently in Somerville, N.J., but much of the collection has been in storage recently or exhibited elsewhere.

Somerville Councilman Thompson Mitchell told news site myCentralJersey.com that the hall can no longer be in Somerville because the community lacks financial resources that others are willing to throw into the museum.

“Somerville has a long history of association with cycling,” Mitchell said. “I‘m hoping the Bicycling Hall of Fame will realize they need to maintain a presence here in Somerville for non-financial reasons.“

The annual operating expense for the museum has been about $20,000 per year, according to the hall’s website. About 75 percent of the current cash budget is funded through charitable contributions and sponsorship.

Dan Kehew, president of the California Bicycle Museum, is a major advocate for a move to Davis.

“When the hall‘s homelessness became apparent, we got in touch with them as early as 2007,“ Kehew said. “Davis is the most active biking community in the country and is known all across the country as the biking city. Biking infrastructure has been built up over the years in Davis, so that adds to its chances of being selected.“

Location also seems to be an important feature that gives Davis an advantage.

“With a location near Sacramento on [Interstate] 80, near the Bay Area and close to visitor attractions around Northern California, it really is a prime location for the headquarters,“ Kehew said. “The hall really wants a permanent home, not like the temporary display that Somerville turned out to have.“

With the infrastructure and bicycle enthusiasts, comes the location‘s weather as well.

“We‘ll definitely be one of the top choices,“ said Bob Bowen, public relations manager for the city of Davis. “Unlike other cities you would be able to visit the museum on bike 12 months a year.“

The California Bicycle Museum not only hopes that the museum will tell the story of bike history, but also feature displays like those seen at The Exploratorium, a San Francisco hands-on science museum. The teaching of science and physiology would be combined with bike pedaling displays.

Davis‘ temporary exhibition featured antique bikes purchased with assistance from the UC and loans from the Hall of Fame. The exhibit attracted varied demographics.

“People were mesmerized by the human powered vehicle that went 50 mph,“ said UC Davis researcher and exhibition docent John Hess in an e-mail. “The last weekend we were open, we were visited by a Vietnamese family … who had no idea such old bike designs existed. The father and daughter were thrilled to climb up on the high-wheeler for pictures.“

According to the California Bicycle Museum, the Davis City Council has already decided that having a permanent bike museum regardless of the hall‘s decision would be a good idea.

The museum would have to be moved to a larger location, as the basement at Third and B Streets has limited space. Construction for something more temporary would take six to 12 months after the hall‘s decision is made. Within two years the city hopes to have a more permanent facility.

“We are considering facilities, demographics, bicycling heritage, public private partnership and funding,“ said Bill Brunner, a representative of the Bicycling Hall of Fame.

Ten other cities are vying for the position. Competitors include Somerville, N.J.; Worcester, Mass.; Morristown, N.J.; Tulsa, Okla.; Madison, Wisc.; Dayton, Ohio; Greenville, S.C.; Greensboro, N.C., Trexlertown, Pa.; and Raritan, N.J. Davis is the only West Coast town in the running.

ANGELA SWARTZ can be reached city@theaggie.org.

County officials and residents met to discuss planning for an Alternative Transportation Corridor connecting the cities of Woodland and Davis Monday night.

The corridor would allow bikes, low speed electric vehicles and pedestrians access between the cities, which could be a particularly important notion for people affiliated with UC Davis who commute to and from Woodland.

A study released in January by the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies found there to be an estimated 1,500 UC Davis students, faculty or staff living in Woodland and commuting on a regular basis.

Planners have identified three routes the corridor would likely follow – one roughly parallel to Highway 113 and the other two following county roads to F Street in Davis.

Jeff Loux, director of the UC Davis Extension’s Land Use and Natural Resource Program, said this would be the first of several meetings to get public feedback on this joint effort between Yolo County and the cities of Woodland and Davis.

“We need to work together,” said Yolo County Intergovernmental Affairs manager Petrea Marchand, so that people can bike between our communities and not just in them.

Those who simply want to bike between Davis and Woodland may not have to wait for this project to be completed. A bike-only path between the cities is already partially finished and will likely be completed by summer 2009, Marchand said.

That path, however, would be an “on-road” path, meaning that bikes have a four-foot wide space on the side of an existing road. These types of bike routes tend to be more dangerous than separate paths.

Both Yolo County officials and citizens have stated their preference for making as much of the proposed Alternative Transportation Corridor as possible off-road. This would mean that the bikes, low speed electric vehicles and pedestrians would have a path separate from the county roads.

Yolo County would be the first in the nation to complete an Alternative Transportation Corridor connecting two cities. This could mean that Yolo County would become a model community for others seeking green opportunities, said Bennet Engineering project director Leo Rubio.

In addition to being environmentally friendly the corridor also has the opportunity to increase mobility for the aging and disabled who can more easily drive low speed electric vehicles.

Rubio said these factors might contribute to an increased ability to receive federal funding, meaning less tax dollars out of the pockets of Yolo County residents.

The project is not without challenges though, Rubio said. The project team will have to figure out how to deal with railroads, freeways, agricultural land and roadway crossings.

Citizens also expressed concerns about the project. Foremost on their minds were impacts on farm operations and plant and animal habitats from construction and daily use, potential safety hazards and the hefty cost of the project.

“We are expecting this to be a fairly expensive project,” Marchand said.

The total cost of widening shoulders for the on-road bike only path was $3.8 million. Marchand said people could expect the cost of paving a completely new off-road path to be considerably more than this.

For updates and more information, or if you would like to give your input on the project, visit yolocounty.org.