For perspective, given the massive tax refund fraud/ID theft in the U.S. Isabelle Oderberg reports: Over 23,300 Australians had their tax file number compromised in the 2012 financial year, according to data from the Australian Taxation Office, up from 22,000 last year. “Certainly, the delay in many tax refunds is because they have to go…
Author: Dissent
Maryland cyberdefenses lacking, finds residents’ info may be at risk – Audit
Aaron C. Davis reports some of the findings from an audit of Maryland’s Department of Information Technology and some other state agencies: … state agencies have not consistently or adequately protected personal identifiable information, such as residents’ Social Security numbers. They also have not consistently reported data breaches, according to the state’s nonpartisan Department of…
UK: ‘Entirely avoidable’ loss of sensitive children’s records leads to penalty for London charity
A social care charity has been served a monetary penalty of £70,000 after highly sensitive information about the care of four young children was lost after being left outside a London home, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) announced today. A social worker, who worked for Norwood Ravenswood Ltd, left the detailed reports at the side of the…
Despite thefts, no new Medicare IDs
Kelly Kennedy reports: More than a quarter-million Medicare beneficiaries are victims of identity theft and hampered in getting health care benefits because the government won’t issue new IDs, according to an investigation report released today. Medicare officials say it’s too expensive and too many agencies are involved to reissue those numbers to patients victimized by…
Parental notification before abortion ruled constitutional by Alaska judge
Lisa Demer reports: An Anchorage Superior Court judge has upheld as constitutional a state law requiring parents to be notified before a teen’s abortion. But the issue may not be resolved. Both sides expect it will wind up before the state Supreme Court. Judge John Suddock, in a 65-page decision issued Monday, said the legal…
Roseville cancer patient says TSA violated privacy
The situation described below is just so distressing that I don’t even know where to begin. Doug Esser of Associated Press reports: A Michigan woman dying of leukemia said she hopes her embarrassing experience at a Seattle airport changes the way the Transportation Security Administration treats travelers with medical conditions. A TSA spokeswoman said…