FRAUDS, PHONES & FINGERPRINTS

Ledas provides a comprehensive overview of the problem of identity theft and offers possible solutions to it in this nonfiction work.

The author observes that the contemporary scourge of identity theft is largely the result of the ubiquity of “transacting remotely,” or routinely conducting business from afar. The internet, per Ledas, has been “famously designed to preserve anonymity,” and this protection is equally extended to criminals who operate in the shadows. Additionally, the author asserts, most consumers “[choose] convenience over security,” leaving them at a terrible disadvantage to fraudsters, who enjoy a considerable “structural advantage”: Those responsible for protecting the identity of users simply don’t control the entire process of authentication. Thus, “self-sovereign identity,” a user’s ability to control their identity securely across multiple platforms, frustratingly remains an elusive “holy grail of digital identity.” In this marvelously thorough but concise primer on the issue, Ledas provides a full breakdown of the subject (including its historical development) as well as an overview of the more promising solutions. According to the author, who has a wealth of professional experience in digital communications (this rigorous and insightful resource comes from an industry insider), the technology does exist to keep identity thieves at bay. The real issue is a human one—Ledas writes that an “alignment on identity verification methods and business models” must emerge before any real progress takes hold. The author asserts that he intended to compose this volume in “plain language [for] a reader new to the subject,” and that goal has been entirely accomplished. The book’s thoroughness is remarkable given its brevity and will be helpful to anyone looking to comprehend the subject or take steps to secure their identities. In these pages, Ledas convincingly articulates a vision, even a hopeful one, of the future of identity protection.

An expert tutorial on a complex and important problem.