To help Canadians protect themselves against identity theft, Canada’s chartered accountants have published a new book giving dozens of practical tips that will help everyone reduce the chances of becoming a target.

Written by information security and privacy specialists Jim Gaston and Paul Wing, Protecting Your Money, Privacy and Identity from Theft, Loss and Misuse – Practical Steps for Today’s World, explains how consumers can gain fundamental control over their personal and financial information and privacy.

The book also tells Canadians what steps to take if they suspect, or know for sure, that someone is trying to hijack their identity, or if they are already a victim of loss or theft.

“The book covers everything from what you routinely carry in your wallet, to the need for software or hardware firewalls to protect online computing, through to understanding your additional risks when traveling, using another computer, or using wireless technology,” said Wing.

Authors Gaston and Wing have decades of experience working with corporations building secure systems, establishing privacy codes and investigating crimes concerning money, privacy and identity theft or misuse. They have represented Canada internationally in such matters as cross-border information protection, privacy and electronic authentication.

Gaston, recently retired as a senior partner from PricewaterhouseCoopers, has written extensively on information technology risks, after spending the last 20 years in this field. Wing is an independent consultant with over 30 years of experience in privacy and information processing security, including 20 years at Scotiabank, where he served as head of Information Security.