Before you recycle your mobile phone don't forget about all the data you have stored on it. With just you phone list a social engineer can start calling your friends and family looking for bits of information to steal your identity.

Befor you give away your device:

1. Don't give your phone away until you have terminated the service.
2. Delete any information that's stored on your device, including contacts, messages, and photos. Check in the owner's manual or on the manufacturer's website for directions.
3. If your device contains a SIM card or an external memory card take it out and shred it

Monday, the Bush administration released new guidelines aimed at protecting the privacy of U.S. citizens as the government moves to enhance its sharing of information as part of post-Sept. 11 reforms.

The guidelines cover a broad range of government agencies from the CIA and the Pentagon to the State Department, Homeland Security, FBI, Justice Department and state and local law enforcement.

It will always be a tradeoff between high security and widespread sharing. It is our hope that these guidelines will strike a balance between the needs of a security agencies to fight terrorism and our privacy rights.

Here is a great way to steal someones identity. Find people selling their home and say you are interested and would like to take a tour. Have one person occupy the agent or seller while the other person riffles thourgh your file cabinets for information. Or even better, checks books from the middle of the box.