Followup: Anti-identity theft freeze gaining momentum

I wrote a little while ago about credit report freezes. I just tripped over a longer article on CNN.com on the subject. The Globe and Mail expires its content much more quickly, so this link should have a longer life*:

CNN.com - Anti-identity theft freeze gaining momentum - Aug 3, 2004:

"It's called the security freeze, and it lets individuals block access to their credit reports until they personally unlock the files by contacting the credit bureaus and providing a PIN code.

The process is a bit of a hassle, and the credit-reporting industry believes it complicates things unnecessarily.

But it appears to be one of the few ways to virtually guarantee that a fraudster cannot open an account in your name...."

* And the Globe and Mail also now requires an intrusive registration process, so I'll link to other sources if possible.