GUAM COMPUTER STOLEN http://www.guampdn.com/article/20110910/NEWS01/109100302/Guam-DOE-server-stolen-System-had-data-special-needs-students-parents
Guam DOE server stolen: System had data on special-needs students, parents
12:00 AM, Sep. 10, 2011 |
Public education officials are trying to reassure parents of special education students that their children's files are secure even after a department computer server was stolen.
Guam Department of Education officials note in a letter to parents that Chief Brodie Memorial School, which is where the Special Education Division offices are located, was broken into sometime between July 29 and Aug. 1.
The letter is dated Aug. 23 but some parents didn't receive the letter until this week.
Questions were sent to interim Superintendent Taling Taitano and acting Associate Superintendent Yolanda Gabriel but there was no response as of 6:30 p.m. yesterday.
"The computer database contains information involving your child or children with a disability, along with your personal information," the letter stated. "The incident was reported to the Guam Police Department and an investigation into the matter (has) ensued."
Officials tried to reassure parents, saying "it would be difficult to retrieve any information from the stolen computer."
"Access to the database requires (passwords) that only key personnel (have)," the letter stated. "The files in the database are highly secured and access to the files requires several procedures and steps that require a high level of technical application. The Division has security measures to prevent incidents compromising any form of information as it relates to the students and families we serve."
As a safety precaution, there are ways for parents to verify whether their information has been compromised.
When asked for comment yesterday, FBI spokesman Tom Simon said, generally speaking, he would recommend that people check their credit reports regularly to make sure that no one is using their information to open fraudulent bank accounts or credit cards.
Simon said the FBI stands ready to assist local police officials, however, in a theft case, local police departments are typically better equipped to handle the investigation.
"Right now it sounds like no one has determined if this was some junkie trying to steal a computer or if this was someone who was focused on stealing information," Simon said.
If there is a rise in identity thefts on Guam resulting from the theft at the Special Education Division offices, then that may "pique the FBI's interest."
Simon said, while in the "old days," people were concerned about leaving personal information in their garbage, today there's a much larger risk for identity theft to be taken from corporate and government databases.
"The identity thieves realize they can gain more information by hijacking and stealing data than by dumpster diving," he said
Guam DOE server stolen: System had data on special-needs students, parents
12:00 AM, Sep. 10, 2011 |
Public education officials are trying to reassure parents of special education students that their children's files are secure even after a department computer server was stolen.
Guam Department of Education officials note in a letter to parents that Chief Brodie Memorial School, which is where the Special Education Division offices are located, was broken into sometime between July 29 and Aug. 1.
The letter is dated Aug. 23 but some parents didn't receive the letter until this week.
Questions were sent to interim Superintendent Taling Taitano and acting Associate Superintendent Yolanda Gabriel but there was no response as of 6:30 p.m. yesterday.
"The computer database contains information involving your child or children with a disability, along with your personal information," the letter stated. "The incident was reported to the Guam Police Department and an investigation into the matter (has) ensued."
Officials tried to reassure parents, saying "it would be difficult to retrieve any information from the stolen computer."
"Access to the database requires (passwords) that only key personnel (have)," the letter stated. "The files in the database are highly secured and access to the files requires several procedures and steps that require a high level of technical application. The Division has security measures to prevent incidents compromising any form of information as it relates to the students and families we serve."
As a safety precaution, there are ways for parents to verify whether their information has been compromised.
When asked for comment yesterday, FBI spokesman Tom Simon said, generally speaking, he would recommend that people check their credit reports regularly to make sure that no one is using their information to open fraudulent bank accounts or credit cards.
Simon said the FBI stands ready to assist local police officials, however, in a theft case, local police departments are typically better equipped to handle the investigation.
"Right now it sounds like no one has determined if this was some junkie trying to steal a computer or if this was someone who was focused on stealing information," Simon said.
If there is a rise in identity thefts on Guam resulting from the theft at the Special Education Division offices, then that may "pique the FBI's interest."
Simon said, while in the "old days," people were concerned about leaving personal information in their garbage, today there's a much larger risk for identity theft to be taken from corporate and government databases.
"The identity thieves realize they can gain more information by hijacking and stealing data than by dumpster diving," he said
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