Fraud Alert-Health Workers of Indiana

Courier-Journal reports a hacker was able to access the social security numbers of some health care workers.

An audit of a state government Web site database after someone hacked into the system found that personal information including Social Security numbers for 71,000 health-care workers had been accessed, officials said yesterday.

The breach occurred about two months ago, during the theft of some credit card information.

The breach occurred Jan. 3 at the same time that the hacker accessed credit-card information of about 5,600 people and businesses

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Folks received letters in the mail informing them of the breach. Hat tip to Indiana law blog

I sure hope Attorney General Carter is checking up on these website sponsored and supported by local government. The damage a hacker can do.

Cybercriminals

When I first started blogging, I wondered why folks were so interested in the real identity behind the blogger. And that red flag, made it even more important for me not to give certain personal details. Just giving your name gives an unsavory character too much information. And your name allow him or her to tunnel in your identity from all the hits visiting his or her site.

This is no different from the Internet sexual predator, from a name, a house number they can stalk the person until they get what they want.

OU hires new tech chief after data thefts

ATHENS (AP) — Ohio University hired a new technology chief who will be in charge of computer systems that hackers once breached, compromising personal information of alumni, students and staff.

The university announced Wednesday that Brice Bible, 45, will become chief information officer April 16. He currently is interim chief information officer and assistant vice president for information technology at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.


Bible will take over for OU’s interim technology chief, Shawn Ostermann. He held the job while the university searched for a permanent replacement for Bill Sams, who stepped down last year.

The university last April discovered breaches in four computer systems, exposing about 367,000 files containing Social Security numbers, names, medical records and home addresses. The university later revised those numbers, stating that about 173,000 people’s files were affected.

The school fired two administrators over the electronic break-ins and spent millions to upgrade computer security. There have been no proven cases of identity theft or fraud linked to the data thefts, university officials have said.

“The university made a lot of head way and is moving in the right direction,” said Bible, who will supervise an $18 million annual budget and 150 employees. He will report to university President Roderick McDavis.

“Every person I have talked to here, from the president down, is committed to doing the right things to put the right information-technology services in place,” Bible said.

But you think they are your friends,when they call you by your first name. When they just may have access to a whole lot of your personal information. Cybercriminals