Strickland Administration's Carelessness puts over 1 Million Ohioans at Risk for Identity Theft!

from the Columbus Dispatch

More sensitive data found on stolen computer tape

The number of people affected by missing state data more than doubled with the announcement today that Social Security numbers or other information for nearly 675,000 additional taxpayers, former state workers and state vendors was on a backup computer tape stolen from an intern's car.

That brings to more than 1 million the number of people and entities affected by the June 11 theft, including state workers, their dependents, taxpayers and others.

A team of state workers and information-security experts at Columbus-based Interhack Corp. have been poring over a duplicate of the stolen tape to ensure that all personal information has been found, and the additional data was confirmed this week, Gov. Ted Strickland said.
It includes:

* The names, Social Security numbers and check amounts of about 561,126 additional taxpayers with uncashed state personal income tax refund checks (and/or school district income tax refund checks) issued in 2005, 2006 and through May 29. This includes checks that were cashed after May 29.

* The names and Social Security numbers for approximately 8,123 former state employees who worked for the state from January 1, 1999, through July 31, 2001, and May 1, 2005,through June 12, 2007. Bank account information was included for approximately 2,073 of those former state employees.

* The names and tax-identification numbers of about 86,986 state vendors. The data for about 10,840 of those vendors on the device also included bank account information.

All those affected will be offered the same one year of identity-theft protection and prevention services the state has been providing to others through Texas-based Debix Inc.

As of last Friday morning, nearly 59,000 people had started the process to enroll, at a cost to the state of $9.25 each or more than $540,000 in all.

Hugh Quill, director of the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, estimated the state would need an additional $890,000 to cover new people signing up for Debix. The total cost for data theft, including printing and mailing costs, could reach $2 million, he said Strickland reiterated that there's no evidence the stolen tape has been used and that doing so would require specialized knowledge and equipment. But it was the governor's fifth press conference on the subject since the theft was disclosed June 15. Strickland said until the analysis is complete, he is unwilling to say when the review will be complete or whether additional data may be found until the analysis is done.