Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar of Associated Press reports: The nation’s push to computerize medical records has failed to fully address longstanding security gaps that expose patients’ most sensitive information to hackers and snoops, government investigators warn. Two reports released today by the inspector general of the Health and Human Services Department find that the drive to connect…
Oakland police shut down Bay Area-wide identity theft operation
Harry Harris reports: Calling it the biggest they have seen, Oakland police said Monday that an identify theft operation that manufactured phony checks, IDs and credit cards has been shut down. Officials said there are potentially thousands of victims all over the Bay Area and in other states. The operation was run out of a…
GA: Former SunTrust employee indicted for theft, identity theft
Alan Riquelmy reports: A former Columbus SunTrust Bank employee faces accusations by a federal grand jury that she stole more than $170,000 from several people by taking money from their accounts or stealing their identities and making loans in their names. The grand jury indicted Tracey R. Pearson on Wednesday on 15 counts of theft…
UK: Computer hacker who ruined stranger’s internet business ‘for a game’ and stole bank account details is spared jail
A computer hacker who ruined a man’s internet firm ‘for a game’ and was caught with thousands of stolen bank account details has been spared jail – so he can carry on studying for his degree in law. Sussex University student Zachary Woodham, 19, bragged online about how easy it was to take control of…
AU: How security chief’s bank details leaked
Ben Grubb reports: Security firm Symantec’s Australian chief has revealed how his personal credit card details were leaked by a Melbourne restaurant, which he said highlighted the need for mandatory privacy breach notification laws. […] Scroggie’s credit card data was leaked via email when a Melbourne restaurant at which he was a member attempted to…
Lawsuit over newborn blood tests explores privacy rights
Ian Mulgrew reports: A lawsuit against the Provincial Health Services Authority over the collection and storage of B.C. and Yukon newborns’ blood has received a green light to proceed. B.C. Supreme Court Justice Robert Sewell, however, says the suit launched last year by an anonymous couple and their kids over the until-then hidden DNA database…