[ISN] New Jersey Nearly Sold Secret Data

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/nyregion/10computers.html

By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA
The New York Times
March 9, 2011 

Files on abused children. Employee evaluations. Tax returns. A list of 
computer passwords. Names, addresses, birth dates and other information 
on hundreds of foster children and abused children. And, of course, 
Social Security numbers.

The information could hardly have been more sensitive — the raw material 
of identity theft and invasion of privacy — yet the State of New Jersey 
was about to turn it over to the highest bidder, the state comptroller, 
Matthew A. Boxer, reported on Wednesday. After the comptroller’s office 
reviewed computer equipment that the state was preparing to auction to 
the public last year, it found that 46 out of 58 hard drives, or 79 
percent, still had data on them, much of it confidential.

Mr. Boxer’s investigation stopped that sale, but it points to the 
near-certainty that the state had already inadvertently released 
privileged information on thousands of people. The state sells or gives 
away hundreds of computers annually at several auctions, and Mr. Boxer 
said that as far as he knew, no outside agency had looked into the 
handling of the equipment before his office did.

“What happened before our auditors got there is obviously an issue of 
concern,” he said. “The risk here is enormous.”

His report said that one agency had a device that magnetically erased 
computer drives, but that employees did not like to use it because it 
was noisy. “I find that offensive,” Mr. Boxer said.

[...]


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