DOT Security Breach Affects 25,000 Employees

Raleigh, N.C. — A computer server holding the names and Social Security numbers of about 25,000 North Carolina Department of Transportation employees, contractors and other state employees had a security breach, officials announced Friday.

The breach affects employees who were issued identification badges from 1997 until 2006. Officials have no evidence that the personal information was accessed, according to the DOT.

People who used their employee identification number instead of their Social Security number are not at risk. The department is working to contact the affected individuals by mail, and the State Bureau of Investigation has also been notified.

Individuals who detect a problem with any of the personal information listed above should notify local law enforcement and contact one of the three credit bureaus to place a 90-day fraud alert on their credit report.

That bureau will notify the other two bureaus to also flag the file.

Individuals may also place a security freeze on their credit reports to prevent anyone from being able to use their private information to obtain credit in their name.

The freeze can be lifted in three business days using a special password if the individual needs to obtain credit.

The following credit bureaus can establish a fraud alert or freeze on an individual’s credit report:

Equifax at 1-800-525-6285
Experian at 1-800-397-3742
TransUnion at 1-800-680-7289

Additional information about protection from identity theft is available on the DOT Web site through the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles at http://www.ncdot.org/dmv.

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@gpd – a little less ranting and raving would be nice. But your basic point is a good one - privacy and security are REAL issues and it is time that all State Government agencies take it VERY SERIOUSLY. Senate Bill 1048 / S.L. 2005-414, Identity Theft Protection Act, http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2005/Bills/Senate/HTML/S1048v6.html Should be amended to apply to State Government. “Any person whose property or person is injured by reason of an act made unlawful by Article 19C of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes may sue for civil damages. Damages may be in an amount of up to five thousand dollars ($5,000)” should be amended to allow injured partied to collect from the government, as well as from businesses. Government should not be allowed to require that we submti SSNs without also being help accountable.

lollly52
May 27, 2007 1:07 p.m.

Well, State employees find out today that their personal information may have been breached and some disgruntled State Employees only want to point fingers and blame only one branch of the ENTIRE state employees? wow, I'm glad I'm not your wife, your child, or your acquaintence.

If you hate your job, hate the employer you work for...LEAVE.

For all the State Employees, I'm sad to see this story. I hope you all come out of this with your personal finances untouched.

But, this is a perfect example of what's wrong with our society as a whole. Bunch of armchair warriors hiding behind a cursor playing playgroud bully on an open comment section on some small town website.

gpd
May 27, 2007 11:56 a.m.

Let me rephrase that... I have had my personal information stolen from a major banking industry..not by a banking industry. Either way, you give them your information with the promise that it is secure, only to find out it wasn't after all. And it cost me over $200 to get additional protection for my credit accounts. It's insane!

grenlyn1
May 27, 2007 11:24 a.m.

Thought this article was about a security breach affecting 25000 employees of the state DOT? How did it become a whinning session about completed work on I40 and I85? Obviously people have too much time on their hands and will complain anywhere as long as they can spout off. I am more curious about the security breach that has found its way through a system that was suppose to be protected. Hence, it is a state agency. And I wonder why there are so many so called protected systems being breached and yet nothing is reported about the one who breaches these accounts. I have had my personal information stolen by a banking industry and it has been pure hell on me ever since. You just don't know what is going on with your personal information anymore. I am beginning not to trust anyone with my information, not even the state.

grenlyn1
May 27, 2007 11:21 a.m.

Joco Cruiser,

I think your comment was extremely uncallled for. I don't know where you get off saying that I run a personal business from work. I take my job seriously, and if you can prove otherwise, then step-up.

Furthermore, I'm sick and tired of people complaining about the NCDOT under the same breath that they complain about the traffic conditions. The people I work with, work under extreme pressure to get projects done and done right. I'm tired of "my people" getting kicked around by the general public.

vizbiz
May 27, 2007 11:12 a.m.