A report released this month by a legislative committee found that
information on Web sites of New York state agencies and authorities has been
hacked at least 72 times in six years. The breaches occurred between 1999 and 2004 in the computer systems of the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Education, the Department of Correctional Services, and the New York Port Authority.  It is not clear whether personal information was breached.

"We rely on business and government when we give them personal
information … that they’ll keep it safe and secure," said State Sen.
Jeff Klein, D-Bronx, who headed the Assembly’s oversight committee that
wrote the report before he was elected to the State Senate last year.
"Unfortunately, the state and private companies are not keeping that
information safe, which can lead to ID theft."

[Via The Journal News.com, NY -]

Another breach in what seems like an endless week to guardians of personal account information. A "small" number of backup tapes with Bank of America records went missing this week. What was on the tapes - information on 1.7 million customers, most if not all of them government accounts.  According to BofA, the annual transactions conducted via these accounts total to more than $21 billion. Not a small change.

"Federal law enforcement officials were immediately engaged when the
tapes were discovered missing, and subsequently conducted a thorough
investigation into the matter, working closely with Bank of America,"
the bank said in a statement. "The investigation to date has found no
evidence to suggest the tapes or their content have been accessed or
misused, and the tapes are now presumed lost."

What does that mean - "presumed lost?" That BofA will write off the cost of the tapes - let’s say $50 and everybody will go on their marry way? Hopefully not.

[Via News.com]

Yes, there are many implications of Paris Hilton’s stolen numbers. One of them - the trade in the NBA.

Dallas Maverick owner Mark Cuban, on the radio (KTCK 1310AM
to be specific) defending the trade of Alan Henderson and Calvin Booth
to the Milwaukee Bucks for Keith Van Horn, said he was nearly out of
the loop on the trade because he had to get a new phone number because
his phone number was among those found in the hotel heiress’ cell phone.

It’s sad when such a simple phone hacking can cause ecomonic damages in such far-reaching areas. Also, half of Hollywood now probably has new cell numbers - watch out for a mad new phone number exchange on tomorrow nights’ Oscars’ red carpet.

[Via InfoWorld -]