There’s an update to a breach previously noted on this blog in March, 2013. John George recently reported: A 50-year-old Brookhaven, Pa., man pleaded guilty today to stealing hospital patients’ identities as part of a tax fraud scheme. Reynaldo Estrada pleaded guilty today to one count each of conspiracy to commit identity theft, aggravated identity theft,…
AU: Prescription records found strewn in street after contractor's employee forgets to shred first, then haul
Rex Martinich reports: Hamilton’s James Dean Pharmacy has resolved the issue with its secure document disposal contractor after a number of prescription receipts were left beside Digby Rd earlier last month. The documents were strewn across 30 metre stretch of road on April 24 and the contractor responsible said the documents were retrieved on the…
OH: H&R Block Customer Records Stolen, Used By Fraudsters
ABC22 reports: Police are investigating several reports of identity theft stemming from information stolen from H&R Block records. The information has been used, Huber Heights police say, to open credit card accounts and make Internet purchases. Police and H&R Block say they have sent out hundreds of letters to people potentially affected. Read more on…
Urgent Security Update Regarding Your Bitly Account
Posted by Bitly on their blog tonight: We have reason to believe that Bitly account credentials have been compromised. We have no indication at this time that any accounts have been accessed without permission. For our users’ protection, we have taken proactive steps to ensure the security of all accounts, including disconnecting all users’ Facebook…
Toronto police computers hacked, U.S. Attorney claims; Not so much, Toronto police say
Peter Edwards reports: Toronto police are denying the allegations in a U.S. court document that says names and addresses of more than 500 confidential police informants were hacked by an online group led by a former U.S. navy nuclear systems administrator. The tiny American group, known as “Team Digi7al,” successfully attacked Toronto police computers between…
Health IT: The De-Identification Question
Anne L. Kim writes: The rise of health apps has expanded the opportunities for individuals’ data to be used for research purposes, policy analysis, and so on. But what are the complexities involved with making sure people are “de-identified” from their own data, so their privacy can be protected? At an FTC workshop today on consumer-generated…