Alaska State Retirement Data Security Breach

Bear with me folks as I figure out how I do this.  I've got a big backlog of things to write about, but slow and deliberate does not reflect the pace in the Capitol Building.  Should I do one long rambling post with lots of stuff?  Or should I do shorter posts which focus on just one topic.  The first, again, reflects how things feel in the Capitol.

In any case, here's something  that came up while I was talking to folks today.  (double click to enlarge)

This memo went out to all State workers.  The Teachers Retirement System and the Personnel Retirement System data bases have been compromised.  Since I'm in the TRS system there's a personal connection for me.  Here's the link to the Price Waterhouse fact sheet.  (It's a pdf file)  If you are in the affected group you should do go to the file right away.  I guess the thing to do is call the three credit reporting agencies.  The information on who to call and what to do are below.  I better go do this myself.  Here are some excerpts from the fact sheet (it's five pages):

PRICE WATERHOUSE COOPERS

SECURITY BREACH FACT SHEET

Who is affected by the breach?

Participants in the Public Employees’ Retirement System and the Teachers’ Retirement System, who were active or inactive employees, including retirees, in 2003 and 2004. If you are affected by this breach, you will be mailed a notice shortly with more detailed information about the breach, and instructions on how to sign up for free services pursuant to the settlement reached with PwC.

What information was lost?

The lost information contains names, social security numbers and dates of birth.

What should I do now?

You will receive a notice in the next few weeks that describes the protections PwC has agreed to provide to affected Alaskans. This will include free credit monitoring and identity theft protection, or placing a security freeze on your credit report. Details about what these protections entail and how you can sign up for them will be explained in the notice. The notice will also explain how you can make a claim for any damages you may incur if you become an identity theft victim.

In the meantime, there are other steps you can take to protect yourself against identity theft:

1.    You can place a fraud alert on your credit report, even if you have credit monitoring in place. You can contact the three main credit reporting agencies below to place a fraud alert:

Equifax 1-888-766-0008   www.equifax.com

Experian 1-888-397-3742  www.experian.com

TransUnion 1-800-680-7289  www.transunion.com
 

A fraud alert will not prevent access to your credit report, but it will alert the reporting agency, and businesses checking on your credit, that your information has been compromised. If you have already placed a security freeze on your credit report, a fraud alert is not necessary.

What are some of the things someone can do with my personal information?

Identity theft occurs in many forms. Here are some of the common ways identity thieves can misuse your information:

New account fraud:    This happens when an identity thief uses your personal information to open up new accounts in your name, but will use a different address. Thus, you may not discover the new account for some time.

Existing account fraud: This occurs when an imposter uses your current account information to commit fraud. You can learn of this kind of fraud by reviewing your monthly account statements.

Debit or check card fraud: This occurs when a thief uses your debit or check card to remove money from your bank account. This is sometimes prevented if your accounts can only be accessed with a PIN, but there are ways to avoid this by making “off line” transactions.

Social Security number fraud: This happens when an imposter uses your SSN to gain employment, for tax reporting purposes, or other illegal transactions.

Criminal Identity Theft: This occurs when a criminal gives another person’s name and personal information during an arrest. If the imposter then fails to appear in court, an arrest warrant can be issued with your name on it!
You can get information about these kinds of identity theft from several online resources, including the FTC’s web site, www.ftc.gov/idtheft.