Steven Kreytak reports that a Galveston man was sentenced by a federal judge to 27 months in federal prison for hacking into computers of the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Alabama Department of Public Safety, Houston County, Alabama and the West Virginia Chiefs of Police Association. Higinio O. Ochoa III, who pleaded guilty in…
Category: Government Sector
CA: Clerk arrested for allegedly leaking confidential, sealed federal files
Rina Palta reports: An FBI undercover officer allegedly bought sealed documents from the court clerk’s husband. Nune Gevorkyan was caught in a sting for allegedly leaking files. According to the FBI, an undercover agent approached Gevorkyan’s husband, Oganes Koshkaryan, about purchasing information from confidential, sealed federal files. Koshkaryan later returned with information on pending arrest…
UK: Essex council security breach exposes 400 to identity theft
A major security breach at Essex County Council has exposed 400 vulnerable people to identity theft and led to the dismissal of an employee. Names, addresses and financial information about people in “substantial” and “critical” need of care were sent from the Adults Health and Community Wellbeing Department to a computer outside of County Hall….
D.C.: Metro website security breach made personal data accessible to public
Kris Van Cleave reports a breach involving the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority web site: Metro officials say that they’re working diligently to fix a security breach on their website that potentially allowed a person to access the personal information of anyone who has applied for a job with WMATA. That data could be accessed…
Council reassures staff following data breach
Here come another fine. Southern Reporter reports a council has been given notice of a fine after 676 employee records were improperly disposed of in September 2011: SCOTTISH BORDERS COUNCIL is facing a major fine for data breaches after hundreds of pension records were sent for recycling. However, the council has reassured staff it is…
Dozens of Atlanta police socially engineered into giving ID thieves their personal info
At least 39 members or employees of Atlanta law enforcement fell prey to two women who posed as representatives of AFLAC and requested their personal information under the ruse of the city changing its insurance options. Read more about it on 11Alive, the Florida-Times Union, and Creative Loafing.