State laptops: Still being lost, still vulnerable
Laptops stolen from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services leave the state computer network vulnerable to hackers and tens of thousands of North Carolinians in danger of identity theft.
None of the dozen DHHS laptops stolen this year was loaded with encryption software, which makes computerized data unintelligible to unauthorized users. Failure to install the software is a violation of state security standards.
The most recent laptop theft – from a Division of Aging and Adult Services employee traveling in Atlanta – compromised personal information of about 85,000 people, including Social Security numbers of thousands of clients. The division announced Friday it was arranging credit fraud alerts for clients left vulnerable, which will cost the state between $25,000 and $30,000.
