DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

MA: Hingham to inform 1,300 employees of compromised personal data

Posted on August 4, 2010 by Dissent

Molly A. K. Connors reports:

More than two weeks after a Hingham official inadvertently sent dozens of people a document containing the names and Social Security numbers of everyone who worked for the town last year, town officials said they will notify the 1,300 employees of the breach Wednesday afternoon through e-mail and first class mail.

Officials also said they will comply with state law requiring them to notify the state’s attorney general’s office and the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation of the breach, but maintain that the risk to employees is “beyond minimal.”

“We’re being overly cautious because it is sensitive information,” said Town Accountant Ted Alexiades.

I’m not so sure I would consider this “overly cautious.” The Massachusetts law defines a reportable breach as an unauthorized acquisition or unauthorized use of personal information of Massachusetts residents that creates a substantial risk of identity theft or fraud. As made clear later in the story, a lot of these emails were forwarded to other servers and personal accounts that are not on the network under their control.

Alexiades said he e-mailed the document, a spreadsheet that included full names, earnings type, employee identification numbers, and Social Security numbers – but not birthdays or addresses — to about 30 department heads at “mid-morning” on July 19 for their review. The information pertained to employees who work for the town in fiscal 2010, which ended June 30.

But here’s the part that really caught my attention: that official emails were being forwarded to personal accounts:

Once the error had been brought to his attention, Alexiades said, he recalled the e-mail, which he said automatically deleted half the files before they were ever opened.

Of the 30 or so e-mails, 11 had been automatically forwarded to personal computers or handheld devices through servers such as Comcast or Verizon, officials said, and therefore moved off the protected server the town maintains.

Read more in the Boston Globe. I didn’t notice any statement from the town that forwarding emails to personal accounts is a violation of their policies. I hope it is and that they follow through on that.

No related posts.

Category: Breach IncidentsExposureGovernment SectorU.S.

Post navigation

← When the road to ID theft is paved with good intentions
Hundreds of Ont. patient health files stolen →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • Integrated Oncology Network victim of phishing attack; multiple locations affected (2)
  • HHS’ Office for Civil Rights Settles HIPAA Privacy and Security Rule Investigation with Deer Oaks Behavioral Health for $225k and a Corrective Action Plan
  • HB1127 Explained: North Dakota’s New InfoSec Requirements for Financial Corporations
  • Credit reports among personal data of 190,000 breached, put for sale on Dark Web; IT vendor fined
  • Five youths arrested on suspicion of phishing
  • Russia Jailed Hacker Who Worked for Ukrainian Intelligence to Launch Cyberattacks on Critical Infrastructure
  • Kentfield Hospital victim of cyberattack by World Leaks, patient data involved
  • India’s Max Financial says hacker accessed customer data from its insurance unit
  • Brazil’s central bank service provider hacked, $140M stolen
  • Iranian and Pro-Regime Cyberattacks Against Americans (2011-Present)

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • On July 7, Gemini AI will access your WhatsApp and more. Learn how to disable it on Android.
  • German court awards Facebook user €5,000 for data protection violations
  • Record-Breaking $1.55M CCPA Settlement Against Health Information Website Publisher
  • Ninth Circuit Reviews Website Tracking Class Actions and the Reach of California’s Privacy Law
  • US healthcare offshoring: Navigating patient data privacy laws and regulations
  • Data breach reveals Catwatchful ‘stalkerware’ is spying on thousands of phones
  • Google Trackers: What You Can Actually Escape And What You Can’t

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.