OMEN
09-03-2007, 10:43 AM
More Than 100,000 Residents Could Be At Risk
A computer laptop with the names and Social Security numbers of more than 100,000 Connecticut taxpayers has been stolen, the Department of Revenue Services said Tuesday.
Agency officials don't know if anyone has gained access to the data, but said the computer is password-protected and access is unlikely by anyone without specialized knowledge.
Law enforcement authorities have been notified and are investigating.
The 106,000 people affected are about 10 percent of all individual taxpayers in Connecticut, said Sarah Kaufman, a spokeswoman for the agency.
The computer was stolen Aug. 17 from a state employee's car on Long Island, state officials told the New Haven Register.
The state employee who took the state-issued laptop to Long Island is not being identified because of the agency's internal investigation, Kaufman said.
She would not say what the employee was doing on Long Island or identify the exact location of the theft. The agency's internal probe is "separate from the criminal investigation" into the theft of the computer, Kaufman said.
Information on the laptop was duplicated, allowing tax officials to determine who is affected.
Beginning as early as Wednesday, Connecticut taxpayers will be able to log on to the agency's Web site and determine if their names and Social Security numbers were among those stolen, Kaufman said.
"We don't want to unnecessarily panic people," she said. "This is a serious issue and we're handling it seriously. To our knowledge, this is the first time anything like this has happened."
Gov. M. Jodi Rell said in a statement that state officials would seek stronger measures to protect private information.
"While there is no indication that any information has been compromised in this instance, I want to assure citizens that everything that can be done will be done to safeguard residents' personal data," she said.
WCBS
Doesn't Vince Mcmahon live in Connecticut.....LOL
A computer laptop with the names and Social Security numbers of more than 100,000 Connecticut taxpayers has been stolen, the Department of Revenue Services said Tuesday.
Agency officials don't know if anyone has gained access to the data, but said the computer is password-protected and access is unlikely by anyone without specialized knowledge.
Law enforcement authorities have been notified and are investigating.
The 106,000 people affected are about 10 percent of all individual taxpayers in Connecticut, said Sarah Kaufman, a spokeswoman for the agency.
The computer was stolen Aug. 17 from a state employee's car on Long Island, state officials told the New Haven Register.
The state employee who took the state-issued laptop to Long Island is not being identified because of the agency's internal investigation, Kaufman said.
She would not say what the employee was doing on Long Island or identify the exact location of the theft. The agency's internal probe is "separate from the criminal investigation" into the theft of the computer, Kaufman said.
Information on the laptop was duplicated, allowing tax officials to determine who is affected.
Beginning as early as Wednesday, Connecticut taxpayers will be able to log on to the agency's Web site and determine if their names and Social Security numbers were among those stolen, Kaufman said.
"We don't want to unnecessarily panic people," she said. "This is a serious issue and we're handling it seriously. To our knowledge, this is the first time anything like this has happened."
Gov. M. Jodi Rell said in a statement that state officials would seek stronger measures to protect private information.
"While there is no indication that any information has been compromised in this instance, I want to assure citizens that everything that can be done will be done to safeguard residents' personal data," she said.
WCBS
Doesn't Vince Mcmahon live in Connecticut.....LOL