U.S. citizens' data possibly compromised

[Rose Siding]

NEW YORK -- Using misappropriated passwords and identifications from legitimate customers, intruders got access to personal information on as many as 32,000 U.S. citizens in a database owned by Lexis Nexis, the company's corporate parent said Wednesday.

Reed Elsevier Group PLC said the breach of its recently acquired Seisint unit was being investigated by staff and by U.S. law enforcement authorities.

Boca Raton, Fla.-based Seisint stores millions of personal records including individuals' addresses and social security numbers. Customers include police and legal professionals and public and private sector organizations.
Reed Elsevier bought Seisint -- which provides data for Matrix, a crime and terrorism database project funded by the U.S. government that has raised concerns among civil liberties groups -- for $775 million in August.
...
"The U.S. law enforcement agencies have asked us not to say too much as they are in the process of trying to track down the people who are responsible," said Catherine May, a Reed Elsevier spokeswoman in London.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2005/03/09/us_citizens_data_possibly_compromised/

[dbt]

1. What a charming little cottage industry this is becoming.

[Sugarbleus]

10. No *chit....lol

When do we line up for our national ID tag implants?

[bpilgrim]

2. ONLY 32k sounds like a very small database

we ALL need to sue these thieves for collecting data on us without permission and then making it available on-line.

peace

[Just Me]

3. Didn't we have a conversation about how Lexus Nexus is Republican-

controlled,...that the info and searches are Republican-controlled?

Sometimes, I take in so much info that my wires get crossed; but, I do recall having that discussion.

[SharonAnn]

5. Owners may be but I doubt the workers are.

I worked there and it was a moderate environment. Lots of gays employed in professional positions, a mix of races (good for SW Ohio), a mix of men and women. All in all, a good place to be in 1998-1999.

[kk897]

7. Well, that may have been my stuff

check my sig line. I really looked into it, and it ain't pretty. i certainly don't like knowing they've "lost" this data.

[bemildred]

4. There is going to be LOT of money to be made in network security.

Like Y2K again.

[MGKrebs]

6. LexisNexis Reports Theft of Personal Data (WaPo)

dentity thieves have compromised another company that collects and sells personal information on millions of U.S. consumers, the latest in a series of breaches that is throwing a spotlight on the practices and safeguards of a booming data-collection industry.

The breaches occurred at the company's recently acquired Seisint subsidiary, a Florida firm that sells data amassed from extensive public-records searches to law-enforcement agencies, businesses, private investigators and others.

LexisNexis Group acquired Seisint last summer for $775 million in cash. At the time, Seisint was best known as the company behind a counter-terrorism supercomputer called the Matrix, which enabled law enforcement and intelligence authorities to blend investigative files with 20 billion public records.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19982-2005Mar9.html

[KoKo]

8. Weren't Senators Leahy and Dole amonst those with Bank America lost

tapes?

This article says "a hacker posing as a businessman" got the info from Seisint. The article goes on to say they don't know if it's the same hacker. What if it is the same hacker? Who is the hacker looking for.
This doesn't seem like someone looking for the average Sally and Joe America. It was hacking for a purpose.

(Just found article that says Dole thought her info was lost but it turns out it wasn't. But 30 other Senators data WAS lost..who are they, only Dems?)


Bank security lapses prompt notification bill proposal
The Charlotte Observer, N.C. -- March 01, 2005

Mar. 1--Prompted by recent lapses at Bank of America Corp. and ChoicePoint Inc., a New Jersey senator said Monday he will introduce a bill requiring companies to notify customers of security breaches involving personal data.

Bank of America last week said it lost computer tapes in December containing personal information for 1.2 million federal workers, including U.S. Senators. The Charlotte company said it informed customers as soon as it received permission from federal authorities investigating the case.

A spokeswoman for N.C. Republican Elizabeth Dole said Saturday that the senator's data was likely lost, but the Senate Rules committee told Dole's office Monday that it was not missing, press secretary Lindsay Taylor said.

About 30 senators' data was on the lost tapes, a source said Monday. Information for other Carolinas senators appears to be safe, spokespersons said.

[Norquist Nemesis]

9. You said it!!! DSW shoes had cc info stolen from 100+ stores

over the past three months. I read that little piece of info this morning on the AP newswire. After having my checking account cleaned out in 3 days time (last summer), I have to say...I'm really nervous. I went to DSW about 3 weeks ago and used my card.

The article said consumers should check their credit card statements to see if any unauthorized charges show up. Except for my family, it's our checking account. Great! Something else to look forward to! :grr:

[Moderator]

11. kick to combine

[doodadem]

12. Another big data broker reports breach

LexisNexis says records on 32,000 people accessed
The Associated Press
Updated: 6:18 p.m. ET March 9, 2005

NEW YORK - Using stolen passwords from legitimate customers, intruders accessed personal information on as many as 32,000 U.S. citizens in a database owned by the information broker LexisNexis, the company said.
The announcement Wednesday comes on the heels of a series of similar high-profile breaches, the most serious affecting another large data broker, ChoicePoint Inc. in which scores of identities were stolen.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7139522/

[DoYouEverWonder]

13. Data broker: Hackers accessed 32,000 personal records of U.S. citizens

March 9, 2005

LONDON — Publisher and data broker Reed Elsevier Group PLC on Wednesday said hackers infiltrated a personal records database, accessing information on 32,000 U.S. citizens.

The company said the breach, made on it's legal and business information service LexisNexis' recently acquired Seisint unit, was being investigated by staff and U.S. law enforcement authorities.

Information accessed included names, addresses, social security and driver license numbers, but not credit history, medical records or financial information, the Anglo-Dutch group said in a statement to the London Stock Exchange.

"The U.S. law enforcement agencies have asked us not to say too much as they are in the process of trying to track down the people who are responsible," a Reed Elsevier spokeswoman in London said.

The Boca Raton, Fla. based Seisint unit stores millions of personal records including individuals' addresses and social security numbers. Customers include police and legal professionals and public and private sector organizations.

Reed Elsevier bought the Seisint unit — which provides data for Matrix, a crime and terrorism database project funded by the U.S. government that has raised concerns among civil liberties groups — for $775 million in August.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/gen/ap/FL_Britain_Hacked_Data.html

Oops, they did it again.

[Trillo]

14. So they also own our medical records? What a scandal.

Where's my 4th amendment right to be protected in 'my papers?'

[shraby]

15. I would think the first order of business

would be to notify all the people whose data was compromised, and at the same time try to find the culprit.

[realFedUp]

16. but this isn't terrorism....

:eyes: