Starting this fall, many local companies will need to be more careful and cautious of identity theft.

The "red flag" rules require companies, such as car dealers, mortgage brokers, and health-care providers, to have plans to prevent and detect identity theft.

If they aren't ready by November 1, these companies will face fines. The strict plans apply mostly to companies who work with Social Security numbers and other personal information.

Some local businesses, such as the Civil Law Office of Clint Sellers, are already using protective and cautious measures. They shred all their papers.

Sellers says, "[It] is really treated as confidential and should be. So even handwritten notes here, we just have a policy here of destroying them to protect people's identities and personal information."

Businesses can also buy software that keeps computer hackers away from private information.