Walt Hunter reports: The FBI, New Jersey State Police, county and local investigators are on the trail of hackers who hijacked a Gloucester County school’s district’s computer network, demanding a ransom payment to make it usable again. The Superintendent of the Swedesboro-Woolwich School District says the unidentified hackers are demanding a payment of 500 bitcoins,…
Ca: Some 5,600 privacy breaches in federal government in 2014: documents
Bea Vongdouuangchanh reports: There were 5,600 privacy breaches in the federal government in 2014, affecting almost 44,000 individuals, according to data ministers tabled in the House of Commons on March 23. According to the 2013 (sic) annual report from the privacy commissioner, there were 426 complaints received. This includes all complaints from departments and the…
UK: Children’s details lost and sent to wrong place by Derby City Council employees
The Derby Telegraph reports: Derby children’s personal details have been lost and posted to the wrong address this year by city council staff. The paper filed under freedom of information and found out more about the Derby City Council‘s breaches over the past 12 months. Incidents included: a lost notepad containing details of cases “review…
KY: Former Health Care Worker Arrested For Identity Theft
LEX18 reports: On Friday, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office served an arrest warrant on a Lee County woman, following an investigation by the Kentucky State Police. The initial investigation alleges that Marsha Cook, 51 years old of Beattyville, stole the identities of two elderly females and received student loans totaling more than $50,000. Cook, who…
Ca: Anne Bertrand raps health department over medicare card breach
Catherine Harrop reports: New Brunswick’s privacy commissioner has reprimanded the Department of Health for failing to adequately test its massive medicare data system following a 2011 overhaul. A technical failure resulted in 114 medicare cards being sent to the wrong addresses and 24 households receiving multiple cards, some belonging to other families. The error meant…
Report Says Former IRS Employees–Think Lois Lerner–Can Still Peruse Your Tax Returns
Robert W. Wood translates a GAO report that was recently reported on this site: Could Lois Lerner still take a look at your tax returns on IRS computers? It sounds preposterous, but a new watchdog report says former IRS employees still have access to IRS computer systems long after they have no official business with the information. The report is by the U.S….