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Hackers may have hit 265,000 state workers
By Sam Stanton -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 1:37 p.m. PDT Friday, May 24, 2002

Computer hackers gained access to the California state government's 
computer systems in April and sensitive financial and personal 
information about as many as 265,000 state workers, officials said 
Friday. 

The electronic assault on payroll and other records was discovered by 
the Sacramento Valley Hi Tech Task Force, which determined that none 
of the information has been used illegally so far. 

Despite that, agents with the task force, which includes the 
Sacramento Sheriff's Department and the FBI, have launched an 
investigation into the security breach and are searching for the 
hackers, The Bee has learned. 

Sources said the hacking involved the state's Stephen P. Teale Data 
Center, which is based in Rancho Cordova and provides technical 
computer assistance to many state departments. Authorities also 
believe the state Department of Education computer system may have 
been accessed illegally. 

The security breaches have gone on for the past several months, 
officials said, and gave the hackers access to Social Security 
numbers, last names and first and middle initials of 265,000 state 
workers ranging from judges and politicians to clerical workers. 

However, authorities said there was no indication yet that the 
information had been used by the hackers. 

Despite that, authorities said there is grave concern over the ease 
with which the hackers entered the computer systems, and that work by 
the task force found that few of the security procedures that are 
supposed to be in place actually are used. 

http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/2873199p-3687577c.html 

 



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