An investigative report assigned “shared blame” for a series of decisions that led to the theft of a state computer device containing the personal information of more than 1 million Ohioans, reports the Toledo Blade. The report also revealed that the 22-year-old intern instructed to take the device home actually had two such devices in his car at the time, although only one was stolen. While the investigation by Ohio Inspector General Tom Charles found several “wrongful acts,” it made no referrals for criminal prosecution of any state employees or information technology contractors.
The report accuses the program manager, David L. White, of initially downplaying the seriousness of the situation to police investigating the theft and delaying a report to his superiors. His resignation was announced after the report’s release. The data storage device, one of two created daily to serve as emergency backups to a state computer work station, was stolen from the college intern's car sometime during the night of June 10 or morning of June 11. Since then, the state has reviewed the device's twin, determining that it contains the names, Social Security numbers, and other sensitive information of more than 1.1 million Ohioans.
Link: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070720/NEWS24/70720028