Gene Park reports: The University of Hawaii says it needs $1.9 million to tighten its Web security and lessen the chance of future data breaches of individual privacy. In addition, the 10-campus system would need about $764,000 a year to maintain and operate the upgraded system, said David Lassner, the university’s vice president for information…
Author: Dissent
Security lapses at Statistics Canada
Kathleen Harris reports that a freedom of information request revealed a number of data security breaches involving Statistics Canada: There have been several cases of government-issued laptops containing confidential personal information stolen from employees’ homes or vehicles. In at least two incidents, field interviewers had left a sticky note with the password with the portable…
(follow-up) UMS beefs up data security after breach
Judy Harrison of Bangor Daily News reports that following a breach last summer at the University of Maine, the uni is investing $2.6 million to upgrade security. Trustees were briefed Monday on a proposal to improve the security of data. A recent data scan systemwide showed four areas of high risk and three of medium…
Springs man sent to prison for hacking into TSA computer
Another case of a disgruntled terminated employee seeking revenge. Douglas James Duchak was sentenced to prison for injecting malicious code into a TSA computer after he was terrminated. No personal data compromised, but the potential was there. You can read about the case on The Gazette.
UConn Customer Database Hacked (updated)
Bob Connors reports: UConn is warning thousands of customers who bought items on it’s HuskiesDirect.com HuskyDirect.com website that their personal information may have been exposed in a data security breach. A hacker obtained access to the HuskiesDirect.com HuskyDirect.com database containing billing information for 18,000 customers. The website is used by people to buy sports gear from…
CA: Two sentenced for gas station identity thefts
To follow up on a case previously covered on this blog in March and October, this report from Mark Anderson of the Sacramento Bee: A gang that used card readers to skim personal information at gas station card readers in Northern California was busted for identity theft, and two of the four were sentenced to…