Suspect lifted other personal information, as well, from computers storing New York state agency data
In yet another instance of an insider going to the dark side, a subcontractor upgrading software for the State of New York's Office of Temporary Disability Assistance has been arrested for allegedly stealing 15,000 Social Security numbers from computers storing the data for the state agency.
Evan Kane, 25, of Waterford, N.Y., has been charged with forgery, possession of a forged instrument, falsifying records, and identity theft, according to published reports.
Kane was upgrading the agency's computer infrastructure and allegedly downloaded the SSNs off of contractors' systems storing the data for the agency, which handles Social Security disability claims. Authorities say only some of the stolen SSNs and other personal information were actually used, and the investigation remains under way.
Social security administration officials were not available for comment at the time of this posting. Officials have not revealed publicly just how Kane got to the data, whether he had legitimate access to the databases, or whether he downloaded the stolen information to a USB thumb drive.
Victims affected by the breach will be alerted and offered free credit monitoring, as well as help via a toll-free number.
Have a comment on this story? Please click "Discuss" below. If you'd like to contact Dark Reading's editors directly, send us a message.
About the Author(s)
You May Also Like
Guarding the Cloud: Top 5 Cloud Security Hacks and How You Can Avoid Them
April 4, 2024Cybersecurity Strategies for Small and Med Sized Businesses
April 11, 2024Defending Against Today's Threat Landscape with MDR
April 18, 2024Securing Code in the Age of AI
April 24, 2024
Black Hat USA - August 3-8 - Learn More
August 3, 2024Cybersecurity's Hottest New Technologies: What You Need To Know
March 21, 2024Black Hat Asia - April 16-19 - Learn More
April 16, 2024