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….
Category: Government Sector
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…
Ca: Province responding to privacy breach
The provincial government is responding to another privacy breach. The personal information of 78 people was included in error in written correspondence mailed to another person. The breach involved applicants to the province’s Heating Oil Storage Tank Replacement Assistance Program. The information collected from applicants for this program includes their name, spouse’s name, Social Insurance…
Online data breaches plague Metro Nashville
Nate Rau reports: Metro government continues to mistakenly release the sensitive personal information of residents nearly three years after the Social Security numbers of 330,000 Nashville voters were put at risk. Five separate incidents across various city government offices since then have exposed Nashvillians to potential identity theft. The most recent mistake, which involved the…