1-10-1 rule

I just listened to an interesting CBC Radio interview with a cold-water researcher who goes by the name of "Professor Popsicle" when he presents the results of his research into hypothermia (always of interest to Canadians).

He recommends a 1-10-1 rule should you fall into icy water. 1 minute to get your breathing under control before attempting to get out, 10 minutes of useful efforts at escape before you run out of energy, and then finally 1 hour before your heart stops. How cheery.

Is there a comparable rule for identity theft victims?

• 1 hour of uncomfortable questioning the wisdom of giving your password to that nice person from 'tech support';
• 2 days spent with bank customer support determining if they did indeed contact you;
• 3 years to deal with the consequences.

Priceless.