Unfortunately, stealing the identity of a deceased person – sometimes known as “ghosting” – is becoming tragically common. If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of having to write the obituary of someone you love, here are a few tips to help protect against identity theft.

Dr. Larry Ponemon explains how many instances of medical identity theft originate in the family.

Summertime – the kids are home, parties are thrown, visitors are coming in and out … amidst all the fun, make sure to protect your identity. Increased traffic in and out of your home can increase your risk of identity theft. Just because summer fun carries an increased risk of identity theft doesn’t mean you have to live in a cave. Enjoy your summer while taking some simple steps to protect your identity.

Richard Power of Carnegie Mellon CyLab, recently published a report on child identity theft based on identity protection scans of over 40,000 U.S. children. The findings are alarming, and include the fact that 10.2% of the children studied had someone else using their Social Security numbers. To provide perspective, among adults in the same population, the figure is 0.2%. This means that as identity theft becomes more rampant, increasingly, children are the targets.

Dr. Larry Ponemon shares results from Ponemon Institute's Third Annual Survey on Medical Identity Theft, sponsored by Experian's ProtectMyID. In this video, he reveals trends in medical identity theft discovered in his recent study.

The change of seasons is always an invitation for personal improvement initiatives. Are you up for our Summertime Safety Challenge? Here are our Top 5 Identity Protection Tips. How many have you completed?

Mobile banking is still relatively new, not just to you but to the market. There may be security risks we aren’t aware of yet. And, if it’s easy and convenient for you to access your bank accounts, the same goes for an identity thief that may come across your mobile phone.

More and more people are using their mobile devices for social networking. One study revealed that 64.2 million smartphone users accessed a social networking site or blog at least once in December 2011 using a mobile device. More than half kept up that access on a daily basis. While it’s fun to share your vacation in real time, it might also be dangerous.

People who have never been on a cruise are considering one for 2012, according to Travel & Leisure magazine, noting that new, more luxurious accommodations are appealing to a more diverse crowd. For safe cruising, keep these tips in mind as you say, “bon voyage”.

The top identity theft scam from 2011 is something to watch out for again this summer. Be wary of scammers calling your hotel room in the middle of the night, when you’re sure to be groggy and off your game, asking you to verify your personal information.