James Gilbert reports: The personal information of more than 700 Yuma Proving Ground employees may be at risk of identity theft because a home computer that contained their data may have been compromised. According to YPG spokesman Chuck Wullenjohn, personnel information from 2005-2007, which included the names and Social Security numbers of the employees at…
Category: Government Sector
Western Australia’s Auditor General Finds Serious Weaknesses in Government Agencies’ Handling of Information
In his annual report on Information System Management in state government agencies, the Auditor General for Western Australia has identified serious weaknesses in the way many agencies manage their IT systems. The two-part Information Systems Audit Report, tabled in Parliament, found that government agencies were often failing to implement comprehensive controls over their IT systems…
State Department Employee Sentenced for Illegally Accessing Confidential Passport Files
A State Department employee was sentenced today to 12 months of probation for illegally accessing more than 60 confidential passport application files, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division announced. Debra Sue Brown, 47, of Oxon Hill, Md., was also ordered by U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola in the District of…
State Agency ID Theft May Affect 11,000
The following news report on a breach involving a Connecticut state agency seems to be equating theft of PII with identity theft, a problem we’ve seen all too many times, although there may be cases of ID theft associated with this breach. On Monday, Office of Policy Management Secretary Robert Genuario announced that as many…
Police seize computers in ACIC investigation
Richard Duke contributed to this report from the Benton Courier: Arkansas State Police have served two search warrants and seized computers and other items from the home and office of a local bail bondsman, apparently in relation to its investigation of the alleged misuse of police passwords to illegally obtain private information on local residents….
IRS security faults leave taxpayer information at risk
Michael Cooney reports: In this the heavy tax season where billions of dollars and tons of personal information is relayed to and from the government, it’s more disconcerting to hear that the Internal Revenue Service is still struggling to keep private information secure. A report out today from watchdogs at the Government Accountability Office says…