Security breach jeopardizes state employees’ information





Georgia state employees and teachers need to watch their bank accounts a little more closely after a security breach of state computer records.

The Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) recently notified thousands of state employees and retirees that their personal information may have been illegally obtained from their 2002 State Health Benefit Plans.

According to GTA, they discovered in April of this year that a state employee opened and downloaded information of plan members and their dependents, as well as extracts of driver’s license files.

State Health Benefit Plan files contain the names, Social Security numbers, birthdates, and addresses of members, as well as similar information on their dependents.

While no one has reported any problems to GTA so far, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation continues to investigate the case.

The GTA stated that everyone whose records may have been accessed will be notified by a letter by the end of this month.

The GBI confiscated the culprit’s home computers in April after the former employee was found logged onto a computer system he should not have been accessing. The employee had downloaded the information to his home computers.

The GTA recommends that those affected monitor their banking and credit accounts and regularly request a credit report.

Georgians may receive two free credit reports a year from each of the three major credit-reporting agencies, including Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.


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