Multi-level organisational sensemaking and learning as enablers of information sharing to mitigate identity and related crimes

The practice of information sharing as an approach to mitigate identity fraud within, between and from Australian organisations is investigated. Organisations need more flexibility to verify legitimate customers in information system (IS) environments where 'know-your-customer' laws or protocols exist for 'customer-not-present' or 'new customer' transactions. An IS sharing approach is needed, whilst also protecting individual consumers, entities and other stakeholders from identity (identity theft, identity deception, and identity fraud) or related crimes (money laundering, terrorism, trafficking - people, drugs, weapons, or illicit material) and from the breach or abuse of private 'identity' information. Privacy, data provisioning laws and protocols need to be adhered to when sharing information whether verbally, coded, encrypted, or interrogating shared data sets through data mining, profiling or other identity crime mitigation techniques. Asymmetry in information shared between organisations is reduced when the aim is to mitigate a common phenomenon or cause, such as identity crime. However, this sharing relies on trust, integrity, and confidentiality between organisations both within and across industry sectors as well as between the private and public sectors.