Ben Bain of FederalComputerWeek reports: The Homeland Security Department’s platform for sharing sensitive but unclassified data with state and local authorities was hacked recently, a DHS official has confirmed. The intrusion into the Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN) was confirmed to Federal Computer Week by Harry McDavid, the chief information officer for DHS’ Office of…
Category: U.S.
TX: Medical records found in recycling bin
Erin Cargile and Hal Nelson of KXAN report that “dozens of boxes with thousands of patients’ personal information and medical histories” and Social Security numbers were dumped in a recycling bin outside a Goodwill store in Cedar Park at Parmer Lane and FM 1431. So far, no word on who the responsible party or parties…
Deja vu all over again: Amway Corp. reports second security breach
In a breach report that is eerily reminiscent of an incident last year, Amway Corp. has reported a web site breach that has enabled fraudsters to obtain some Amway independent business owners (IBOs)’ personal information and attempt to divert bonus payments by altering their banking information.
Bits ‘n Pieces
In the justice system: Boynton Beach police announced the dismantling of an organized identity theft ring defrauding unsuspecting victims throughout South Florida. “Operation Decoder Ring” led to charges against 10 people, including Rolando Manuel Figueredo-Triana, on more than 70 counts of organized scheme to defraud, grand theft, criminal use of personal identification, forgery, unauthorized sale…
Pfizer: Oops, an employee threw out your data
After a lull in security incidents following a string of breaches between 2006 and 2008, Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer recently reported another security incident. According to a notification (pdf) filed by their attorneys, a Pfizer employee “inadvertently left a backup hard drive in a box that was discarded in the trash on March 26, 2009. Because…
Newton Manufacturing discovers hackers acquired customer data in repeated intrusions
In what was likely a nasty shock for Iowa-based Newton Manufacturing, Jnc., a recent security audit revealed that the company’s databases had been breached in September 2008, October 2008, and February 2009. Hackers apparently accessed and acquired customers’ personal information including names, addresses, and Social Security numbers. According to a notification (pdf) filed by the…