14 DAY TRIAL // The names, social security numbers and some home addresses of around 18,800 Colorado state employees has been exposed after a thumb drive on which the information was stored got misplaced by a state worker.
According to the Governor’s Office of Information Technology, cited by idRADAR, the worker lost the drive while transporting it between locations.
While there’s no evidence to suggest that the information has been stolen or misused, impacted individuals are being notified and advised on how to protect their identities. Of the 18,800 people, 8,000 are current employees, while the rest are former workers.
Despite the fact that the state has strict policies regarding encryption, the thumb drive that was lost was not encrypted.
Interestingly, some people are said to have mistaken the notification letters sent out by the state because they contained some questionable information.