ID Thieves Lift Personal Information of School Employees

Personal information of hundreds of existing and ex-employees of Greenville County School District were stolen from systems storing information on staff insurance. The hack prompted the federal officials of Homeland Security to undertake an investigation.

The district said that the data breach was possible with malicious software on a computer that processed the state insurance details. This software was crafted to penetrate security systems and capture data for the existing and earlier workforce. As the insurance program for state employees was turned on, the malicious software stole information relating to names, phone numbers and Social Security numbers.

During the third week of December 2007, the district issued a notification to the employees about the compromise of computers and lifting of personal information from those systems. According to Homeland Security, apart from the school employees, several employees of other state agencies too suffered attacks from the data thieves.

The Greenville County School District was one among the many government entities under attacked. The affected people were dispatched a notification letter on December 14, 2007. The US Secret Service and SLED are on the investigation job.

The information of EIP (Staff Employee Insurance Program) is examined for verification as well as for processing forms.

Following the federal and state information security investigators' detection of the breach, the district said that the Homeland Security officials advised the affected school employees on how to handle any possible problem with ID theft.

In a letter to employees of Greenville County School District, Director of Disbursement Services, James S. McCutcheon, said that employees should take personal initiative and monitor their credit. If they find any misuse of their information, they should immediately report to their financial institution, the FTC, local law enforcement and also call the Disbursement Services at 355-1182. The latter would then report the case to the US Secret Service and SLED. NewsChannel7 published this on December 20, 2007.

The district, however, said that there was no evidence of any identity fraud, although the possibility exists.

McCutcheon said that his department was working with the federal and state law enforcement and any additional information would be notified to the district employees.

Related article: ID Theft Victims Will Double In Next Four Years

» SPAMfighter News - 1/8/2008