IDX CEO Tom Kelly Discusses America's Invisible Man

As featured in Issues and Insights

In H.G. Wells’ famous science fiction novel, “The Invisible Man,” a scientist discovers how to make himself invisible and begins a “reign of terror” in England, committing acts of violence and crime. Tom Kelly, president and CEO of IDX, recently penned a piece for Issues and Insights about the “invisible man” that Americans face today: the daily damage being done to our digital safety and privacy.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has upended life as we knew it, the dangers we face aren’t limited to our physical health. We are now facing a whole plethora of online scammers and hackers who are capitalizing on the concerns of the public to steal identities, money, medical records and more.

Associated with these threats is also the lack of access to data privacy protections available to consumers’ online and social media platforms. Whenever a consumer enters their personal information online, they unwittingly put themselves more and more at risk of identity compromise and other dangers.

The solutions are multifaceted, and Kelly urges consumers to reach out to their local legislators to get sensible, transparent data privacy laws passed. However, it’s never too late for individuals to take their data privacy into their own hands by making simple changes to their digital lifestyle. This may include choosing unique passwords, customizing privacy settings, and using a VPN for a secure connection, like the one included in IDX Privacy.

In both Wells’ novel and today’s digital landscape, the threats are real and invisible, and it’s up to us to make smart, consistent decisions to protect ourselves.

Read the full article at Issues and Insights.