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-Lurid Crime Tales-
Laptop containing Social Security numbers of South Carolina Health Insurance Pool members stolen in October
2013-12-31
[POSTANDCOURIER] Officials with the South Carolina Health Insurance Pool
...that's a state agency, right?
are investigating the theft of a laptop that contained Social Security numbers and names of people participating in the program, which provides insurance to people with pre-existing conditions.
I use Linux exclusively, but I'm thinking seriously about making my next laptop a Mac. It's worth the extra dollars for the "Where is my Mac" service. I'd also advise using the BIOS (or whatever it's called now) password feature on any non-Mac laptop. Losing your phone is an irritation, and having your website hacked can be a real pain, but losing a laptop full of someone else's personal data can be tragic.
In a news release provided Sunday to the News Agency that Dare Not be Named, an attorney said the laptop was stolen in October from a car belonging to an employee of the program's independent auditor. The attorney says the insurance pool hasn't uncovered evidence the data has been accessed.

The files includes the subscriber identification number, which is the patient's Social Security number, along with the last name, first and middle initials, dates of service and provider identification numbers.
Posted by:Fred

#10  the subscriber identification number, which is the patient's Social Security number

I would almost swear that I've seen somewhere that it's illegal to use someone's SSN as any kind of account number.
Posted by: gorb   2013-12-31 23:02  

#9  My point exactly, Rambler.
Posted by: Barbara   2013-12-31 21:39  

#8  But you see, Barbara, a woman's purse contains HER money, credit card, keys, and driver's license. A public employee nothing of value to him if he loses a state laptop.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia   2013-12-31 21:05  

#7  "That also happens in private sector."

I don't very care. No matter who your are, you've got NO goddam business taking your work computer into a bar, particularly if you're planning on drinking.

How many women leave their purses in bars, drunk or sober? I'm betting not many.
Posted by: Barbara   2013-12-31 20:20  

#6  That also happens in private sector. It can even happen the laptop has an unecrypted disk.
Posted by: JFM   2013-12-31 17:29  

#5  State of CT has lost my personal financial info 2x by leaving their work laptops in bars. The definition of public sector employee (the word worker is too pejorative) is the incompetent in law of the politically connected
Posted by: regular joe   2013-12-31 14:25  

#4  Let's split betwwen agencies.

FBI?

CIA?

DOJ?

DOD?

Armed Forces? (Not the same than above)

Nasa?

IRS? (You hate them but are they good at their jobs?)

Your avergae paper pushing agency?
Posted by: JFM   2013-12-31 12:13  

#3  You're going to get a spectrum of quality depending upon the agency or department in question. Otherwise its just about the same as any big business. Like any big bureaucracy, they generally have the same institutional culture. The political hacks at the top who push the agenda, the long serving senior executive service officers who are in a CYA mode as they can actually be fired, the middle grade supervisors who are out to protect their desk and if possible build an empire, and the rank and file who are generally motivated by longevity, that is, the youths actually 'believe' while the longer service ones are doing as little as possible and simply 'obeying orders' to avoid anything to jeopardize their pension investment. There's a whole population of government workers who gypsy from one department to another, particularly ones to where the money, expansion, and promotion opportunities arise. If you want honorable or dedicated 'civil servant' those would be found among the youth and up to early middle management types. The ones who are in occupations which involve actually putting their lives on the line are more respected than those who push paper.
Posted by: P2kontheroad   2013-12-31 10:57  

#2  Could someone tell me what is the image of American federal employees? Elite people as good or better as the best workers of the private sector? Avbout the same level than average private sectpor employeees? Below poroicvate sector but Above state employees? worse than state employees but better than Detroit employees? The lowest of the mowest, rejected by Detroit?
Posted by: JFM   2013-12-31 10:33  

#1  ...This is the second bad one we've had down here - earlier this year it was revealed that somebody hacked the South Carolina internal revenue database, and there's considerable evidence that that one was an inside job....

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2013-12-31 05:19  

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