Oregon State Mistake Puts Personal Data at Risk
Sloppy handling of confidential records by a state agency in Salem, Oregon left people’s names, Social Security numbers, ages and addresses exposed in an open recycling bin outdoors.
The blunder by the Housing and Community Services agency put low-income, elderly and disabled residents at risk of becoming targets of identity theft or other abuses.
In a separate security lapse by another state agency, confidential records with the names and Social Security numbers of former state parks and recreation employees landed in the same recycling bin.
Acting on information provided to the newspaper by a concerned citizen, the Statesman Journal reported the security breaches to state officials at the two agencies last week.
In response, agency leaders launched internal reviews to determine how the records were mishandled and took steps to notify people whose personal information was left unprotected
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