Data, and by which I mean, information is the currency of the modern age. The value of personal information is constantly rising as the criminal element places an ever greater value on it. It is amazing to see the lengths that some legal firms will go to in order to protect paper records yet, they will not apply the same standard of care to their systems.
Information is currency. It would be wonderful if this message would sink in. Governments could take this lesson to heart. One in particular would be the city government in Encinitas, California.
Encinitas Deputy Mayor Jerome Stocks is still sorting out his feelings about a City Hall security lapse in which his credit card number was posted on the city’s Web site along with the card numbers of 1,200 other participants in city recreation programs.
Although no one has reported identity theft and the information has been removed, Stocks said he will investigate and might bring up security concerns with the City Council.
“I am trying to figure out how to feel about it,†said Stocks, whose information was included because his children enrolled in the city’s junior lifeguard program, day camp and other activities. “I didn’t get that excited about it. I thought, ‘Oh geez, whatever.’ I’ve been extremely busy and haven’t had a chance to look into it or check my credit card.
“But it’s a shame that happened. Hopefully, the city has not empowered somebody in nefarious activities,†he said.
The bleeding will continue until people take the value of information more seriously.
[tags]Data Loss, Data Leakage, Privacy[/tags]