Forwarde from: Aj Effin Reznor <ajat_private> http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/2873199p-3687577c.html Hackers may have hit 265,000 state workers By Sam Stanton -- Bee Staff Writer Published 1:37 p.m. PDT Friday, May 24, 2002 Computer hackers gained access to the California state government's computer systems in April and sensitive financial and personal information about as many as 265,000 state workers, officials said Friday. The electronic assault on payroll and other records was discovered by the Sacramento Valley Hi Tech Task Force, which determined that none of the information has been used illegally so far. Despite that, agents with the task force, which includes the Sacramento Sheriff's Department and the FBI, have launched an investigation into the security breach and are searching for the hackers, The Bee has learned. Sources said the hacking involved the state's Stephen P. Teale Data Center, which is based in Rancho Cordova and provides technical computer assistance to many state departments. Authorities also believe the state Department of Education computer system may have been accessed illegally. The security breaches have gone on for the past several months, officials said, and gave the hackers access to Social Security numbers, last names and first and middle initials of 265,000 state workers ranging from judges and politicians to clerical workers. However, authorities said there was no indication yet that the information had been used by the hackers. Despite that, authorities said there is grave concern over the ease with which the hackers entered the computer systems, and that work by the task force found that few of the security procedures that are supposed to be in place actually are used. - ISN is currently hosted by Attrition.org To unsubscribe email majordomoat_private with 'unsubscribe isn' in the BODY of the mail.
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