Peter Jackson reports: First they said they’re looking into it. Now they’re saying nothing happened. The day before he was cut from cabinet on March 12, former Services NL minister Tony Cornect denied there was ever a security breach at the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). The OCIO oversees information technology and security…
Category: Government Sector
VT: Records ID state worker accused in data breach
Mike Donaghue reports: The Vermont Department of Labor has determined a now-former employee improperly obtained “personally identifiable information” including names and Social Security numbers from its unemployment insurance program database. A criminal investigation into possible identity theft is underway, officials said. At least 80 people are affected by the breach. Also at least seven businesses…
UK: Concerns over PCSOs in Cambridgeshire snooping on friends and family
Cambridge News reports: Police bosses have raised concerns about the number of PCSOs in Cambridgeshire who are using snooping for family and friends on residents using force computers. They are supposed to be trusted officers who uphold the law, but some police community support officers and police staff area busing their powers to dig up…
GAO: IRS Needs to Continue Improving Controls over Financial and Taxpayer Data
What GAO found in its new report on Information Security and the IRS: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) made progress in implementing information security controls; however, weaknesses limit their effectiveness in protecting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of financial and sensitive taxpayer data. During fiscal year 2014, IRS continued to devote attention to securing its…
TX: ID Theft Conspiracy Leader Sentenced To 16 Years In Federal Prison And Ordered To Pay $88,131 In Restitution
There’s a follow-up to a case first reported on this site in November 2011. A Cedar Hill, Texas man, who was convicted at trial on various federal felony offenses stemming from an identity (ID) theft conspiracy he ran in the metroplex from October 2009 to July 2013, was sentenced today, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John…
Ca: Office of Auditor General lost 120 encrypted USB drives: documents
Joanna Smith reports from Ottawa: An internal investigation at the Office of the Auditor General found that about 22 per cent of the encrypted USB drives entrusted to employees were lost, according to newly released documents. […] “The management of these USB drives was not strictly enforced. Employees were given IT Security information sessions on…