As an update to the breach involving a subcontractor working in the NYC Social Security Administration Office of Temporary Disability Assistance, other news sources such as WTEN report the name of the individual arrested in the case: Evan Kane of Waterford, New York. It also appears that in addition to 15,000 Social Security Numbers, other…
Author: Dissent
Why Are Health Data Leaking Online? Bad Software, Study Says
Jennifer Valentino-DeVries reports: Hard-to-use software is behind the leakage of sensitive health data online, according to a study by Dartmouth researchers published in December. Health documents with sensitive patient information can be found in “peer-to-peer” networks, which people typically use to share music files and the like. The programs used to navigate these networks often…
DHS goes after Vietnamese hackers, identity thieves
Robert McMillan reports more an “Operation eMule” arrest previously reported by Dan Browning of the Star Tribune and mentioned on this site previously. […] The law enforcement operation, run out of ICE’s Cyber Crimes Center in Washington, D.C., has been investigating the Vietnamese crime ring since Sept. 2009 in an action called Operation eMule, according…
DoD still working to tighten SSN controls
Jared Serbu reports: The Defense Department is continuing its effort to move away from the use of Social Security numbers to identify service members, although full implementation of an alternative system of ID numbers designed to decrease identity theft will not happen until 2012. Last week, the Navy closed down one potential fraud magnet. Prior…
TX: Personnel records found dumped outside Plano library
Brad Watson reports about dozens of boxes containing sensitive information: “I picked up a notebook that was sitting on top, I flipped it over and saw pages and pages of Social Security numbers,” she said. “I got concerned.” Inside the cartons, News 8 reviewed hundreds of names, Social Security numbers, medical records, home addresses and…
UK: Angus Council sought to collect samples of children's DNA
Most stories about children or student privacy are covered on the “mother ship,” PogoWasRight.org, but when student privacy issues involve DNA collection, they may also be covered on this blog. The following is part of a series of news stories that has been addressing student surveillance and privacy in UK schools: Angus Council’s use of…