OKLAHOMA COMPUTER SECURITY Tulsa World: Cyber-scares: State computer policy needed
Cyber-scares: State computer policy needed
By World's Editorial Writers
Published: 5/2/2009 2:21 AM
Last Modified: 5/2/2009 3:30 AM
Oklahomans who have private information on file with any state agency — and that would be virtually all of us — undoubtedly are becoming more concerned as more revelations are made about the thefts of computers containing such data.
After three such reports in recent months, isn't it about time to consider a policy, perhaps even an across-the-board rule, governing how such information is stored, transferred and moved about?
The latest incident was the theft of a laptop computer that contained the personal information on about 225,000 Oklahomans. The theft occurred at the home of an Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency employee. Officials said the data stored on the laptop included names, Social Security numbers, tax identification numbers, birth dates and addresses of clients of a certain subsidized housing program.
Dennis Shockley, executive director of the agency, said the agency is upgrading its security and encrypting its computers but hadn't gotten around to making all those changes yet. Fat lot of good that's going to do those people whose personal information is now in the hands of a thief.
Clients were notified of the theft and told that officials believe it is unlikely the information can be retrieved from the purloined laptop, but security experts argue otherwise. Surely if the thief found out what's on the stolen computer, he'd work hard to steal the information too.
Two other worrisome cases of involving computerized information also came to light recently. The Departartment of Human
Services announced that unencrypted information including Social Security numbers, names and dates of birth for as many as a million of its clients was compromised when an employee's several weeks ago. laptop was stolen The laptop is still missing.
And data contained on a flash drive of an Oklahoma Employment Security Commission employee was lost in March. That information, also not encrypted, involved about 5,000 Oklahomans and included Social Security numbers.
It's not like computers are a new technology we're still trying to figure out. State agencies have a duty to their clients to protect this vitally important information, just as a bank or credit card company would be required to do.
Let's get moving on this project before millions more Oklahomans are exposed to identity theft. By World's Editorial Writers
After three such reports in recent months, isn't it about time to consider a policy, perhaps even an across-the-board rule, governing how such information is stored, transferred and moved about?
The latest incident was the theft of a laptop computer that contained the personal information on about 225,000 Oklahomans. The theft occurred at the home of an Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency employee. Officials said the data stored on the laptop included names, Social Security numbers, tax identification numbers, birth dates and addresses of clients of a certain subsidized housing program.
Dennis Shockley, executive director of the agency, said the agency is upgrading its security and encrypting its computers but hadn't gotten around to making all those changes yet. Fat lot of good that's going to do those people whose personal information is now in the hands of a thief.
Clients were notified of the theft and told that officials believe it is unlikely the information can be retrieved from the purloined laptop, but security experts argue otherwise. Surely if the thief found out what's on the stolen computer, he'd work hard to steal the information too.
Two other worrisome cases of involving computerized information also came to light recently. The Departartment of Human
Services announced that unencrypted information including Social Security numbers, names and dates of birth for as many as a million of its clients was compromised when an employee's several weeks ago. laptop was stolen The laptop is still missing.
And data contained on a flash drive of an Oklahoma Employment Security Commission employee was lost in March. That information, also not encrypted, involved about 5,000 Oklahomans and included Social Security numbers.
It's not like computers are a new technology we're still trying to figure out. State agencies have a duty to their clients to protect this vitally important information, just as a bank or credit card company would be required to do.
Let's get moving on this project before millions more Oklahomans are exposed to identity theft.
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