The State Department does not have an accurate accounting of its laptop computers, including ones meant for classified use, and has failed to encrypt machines as it is supposed to do to protect sensitive information, according to a new report by the department’s inspector general. Inspectors found that 27 laptops, worth $55,000 were missing out…
Category: Of Note
Alberta Health records hit by virus
The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner has been notified by Alberta Health Services that a virus was present on the Alberta Health Services network in Edmonton. The virus impacted the network and Netcare, Alberta’s electronic health record, before it was discovered and removed. The virus is a new variant of a Trojan horse…
SSN Relatively Easy to Predict
Over on PogoWasRight.org, I’ve posted about a study released by researchers Alessandro Acquisti and Ralph Gross of Carnegie Mellon University. The study has significant implications for the use of SSN and for protecting against identity theft, even though a government spokesperson responded by seemingly downplaying the findings and their implications. If you would like to…
PRI Settles with Vermont AG
Payment Resources International, L.L.C. (PRI), a Newport Beach, California, company, will refund more than $18,000 to over 90 Vermont consumers and pay the State $30,000 to settle claims that it processed electronic debits (charges) from Vermonters’ bank accounts on behalf of telemarketers whose scripts were fraudulent or otherwise unlawful. Commenting on the settlement, one of…
VITA Faces Hacking Questions
Some Virginia lawmakers say they’re not getting the answers they need from Virginia’s Information Technology Agency or Vita. The FBI and Virginia State Police are investigating a security breach that took place in the state’s prescription drug monitoring database. On April 30th, a hacker accessed about 35 million computerized prescription records. Sandra Ryals, director of…
Prescription Database Breach Could Cost Contractor
The hack of the Virginia Prescription Monitoring Program may have serious consequences for contractor Northrop Grumman. The company had received a 10-year $2.3 billion state contract to upgrade the state’s computer system. According to stories in the Washington Post and Daily Press, the state has had issues with Northrop Grumman over the past few years…