Texas Comptroller's Office Reports Inadvertent Exposure of Personal Information

April 12, 2011 - PRLog -- Recently, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts reported exposure of sensitive information related to around 3.5 million individuals. The personal information was available on three files, which were inadvertently placed on a publicly accessible server of the Comptroller's office for over a year. The data associated with 1.2 million employees and retirees was transferred to the Comptroller's office by the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) in January last year. Another set of data associated with around 2 million individuals was transferred by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) in April last year. Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) transferred data of around 281,000 employees in May last year.

The data exposed includes names, mailing addresses, social security numbers and in some cases date of births and driving license numbers. While, the office of the Comptroller has not received any information on misuse of data, information available on a public accessible server is susceptible to abuse by fraudsters.

The three files transferred from TRS, TWC and ERS were not properly encrypted as required by the rules. Employees at the Comptroller's office also failed in their responsibility to observe the established internal procedures. The alleged data exposure was discovered at the end of last month and some of the employees were dismissed from service. The office has now removed the files from the publicly accessible server. The Comptroller's office has set up an informational website – txsafeguard.org and will shortly notify the affected individuals on data exposure. Online technology degree  programs could help IT professionals to update themselves on latest best practices in data security, protection and monitoring mechanisms.

Organizations and government bodies must have proper IT security policy and procedures in place. Employees must be made aware of the best practices in IT security and implications of non-adherence of security procedures. IT professionals must ensure implementation of the security policies. Organizations must place emphasis on cyber security and educate employees through training sessions, online computer degree  and e-learning programs.  

Cybercriminals always scan various sources to extract confidential information. If fraudsters gain access to leaked data, they may use the information for impersonating the affected individuals. The data could be misused to set up fraudulent accounts and open new loans accounts with banks or credit institutions. Cybercriminals may also redirect mails from banks and credit institutions to different addresses. Usually, customers become aware of fraudulent use of their identities, after a long time, when they receive notices from banks and credit institutions for non-payment of dues or when they are denied credit. Affected individuals must contact credit bureaus to place fraud alert on their accounts and seek copies of the credit report to check for their correctness. Individuals must also monitor their bank and credit accounts for any suspicious activity and fraudulent transactions. They must immediately report such activities to the concerned banks and credit institutions.

Professionals qualified in IT masters degree and security certifications could help organizations and government bodies in devising and implementing appropriate IT security policies and procedures. Adherence to security policies is crucial to uphold trust of the individuals, reduce cybercrime and secure reputation of the respective businesses and government agencies.

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EC-Council
Website:  http://www.eccuni.us
Email:  iclass@eccouncil.org
Tel:  505-341-3228

EC-Council University is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico and offers Master of Security Science (MSS) degree to students from various backgrounds such as graduates, IT Professionals, and military students amongst several others. The MSS is offered as a 100% online degree program and allows EC-Council University to reach students from not only the United States, but from all around the world.

EC-Council is a member-based organization that certifies individuals in cybersecurity and e-commerce skills. It is the owner and developer of 16 security certifications, including Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator (CHFI) and EC-Council Certified Security Analyst (ECSA)/License Penetration Tester (LPT). Its certificate programs are offered in over 60 countries around the world.

EC-Council has trained over 80,000 individuals and certified more than 30,000 members, through more than 450 training partners globally. These certifications are recognized worldwide and have received endorsements from various government agencies including the U.S. federal government via the Montgomery GI Bill, Department of Defense via DoD 8570.01-M, National Security Agency (NSA) and the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS). EC-Council also operates the global series of Hacker Halted security conferences.

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iClass is EC- Council's online training delivery platform. Students can attend live, or recorded training sessions for courses such as Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Certified Security Analyst (ECSA) or Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI).