OKLAHOMA GOVERNMENT COMPUTER SECURITY Tulsa World: Oklahoma lawmakers consider position to combat ID theft:


Oklahoma lawmakers consider position to combat ID theft

By BARBARA HOBEROCK World Capitol Bureau
Published: 5/6/2009 1:11 PM
Last Modified: 5/6/2009 1:11 PM

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Two lawmakers say legislation to create a chief information officer could help reduce the risk that private information on state computers gets into the wrong hands.

Recently, two state computers containing sensitive information were stolen and a flash drive with sensitive information was lost.

Two measures pending in a conference committee would establish a chief information officer for state government, Sen. Jason Murphey, R-Guthrie, said Wednesday at a Capitol news conference.

"The enactment of House Bill 1704 or Senate Bill 980 could not only save millions of dollars in leveraged IT purchases, but would put someone in charge of securing important data," Murphey said.

Murphey said he is confident at least one of the measures will be enacted. Rep. Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City, said state agencies using outdated technology are inefficient and waste resources.

He said a chief information officer would assist in streamlining purchases and be in charge of security of the information contained on state equipment.