It is troubling that within the span of a few hours, I am having to cover two stolen laptops containing unencrypted patient information as well as Social Security numbers. In this case, Carlos Sadovi reports: A laptop computer containing sensitive information about 7,000 patients of the Cook County Health and Hospitals System was reported stolen…
Category: Government Sector
B.C. Lottery relaunches gambling site after costly breach
Emily Jackson reports that the B.C. Lottery Corp. is relaunch its online gambling website, PlayNow. com. A security breach during its debut last month had compromised personal information of 134 players and exposed 12 players’ information to other users. The breach apparently cost them a lot compared to any delay they might have incurred in…
Baton Rouge man pleads guilty to ID theft
Another reminder of what can happen if you don’t know who’s printing out computerized data: A man alleged to have stolen $150,000 while using the credit information of at least 30 current or retired Baton Rouge police officers has pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. In a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, 48-year-old Alton K….
AU: Officer sacked over internet site
Tim Dornin reports: A senior South Australian police officer has been sacked for helping set up a lurid internet dating profile that encouraged men to pursue his ex-girlfriend for sex. Detective Sergeant Darren James Clohesy lost his job on Monday after failing to attend a police disciplinary hearing in response to his court conviction. Police…
UK: Council staff pry into DWP database
From Kable: The Department for Work and Pensions has disclosed that 124 council employees illicitly viewed personal data on its Customer Information System last year. A Freedom of Information request by GC News revealed that local authorities dismissed 26 employees during 2009-10 for breaching data security. That contrasts with research on the previous year, which found…
Most attacks on federal networks financially motivated
Jill R. Aitoro reports: Most malware attacks against federal agencies are financially motivated, seeking to trick computer users into buying fake security software or providing personal information that can be used to hack into their bank accounts. Although espionage and terrorism often are considered the primary motivations for breaking into government networks, 90 percent of…