Disaster Simulation Exercise Turns Disastrous in California: 800,000 people Effected
By Joe Eitel, TMCnet Contributing Writer
California’s child support data system underwent a disaster preparedness exercise that went well until four computer storage devices went missing. These storage devices contained sensitive information of 800,000 California residents, including social security numbers, names, addresses, driver’s license numbers and more.
The four data storage devices went missing somewhere between Boulder, Colorado and Sacramento, California while in possession of IBM and Iron Mountain (News 
- Alert) Inc., the two companies responsible for transporting the data between the two cities as part of the disaster simulation test.
The sensitive information was transported to Boulder to see if the child support system could operate remotely. The test was successful, but the data cartridges were lost on the trip back to Sacramento. The cartridges were transported via FedEx air.
Christine Lally, spokeswoman for the state’s Office of Technology Services, stated in a press release, "We believe that the container was not properly secured, thus allowing the container to open and then spill out.”
The 800,000 people affected by the mix-up earlier this month were notified via mail. The department has notified major credit card agencies, the state Office of Privacy Protection and the state attorney general. However, the state recommends those effected put a fraud alert on their credit cards and report.
This incident won’t affect the processing of child support cases, points out Kathleen Hrepich, who’s the agency’s interim director.
Lally said, “A data cartridge is definitely not something that you or I could just pop into our laptop”. These data storage devices require specialized computer hardware and software.
The Associated Press reported that this isn’t the first time sensitive information was lost while entrusted to IBM (News - Alert). IBM misplaced storage drives containing sensitive information for 1.9 million people enrolled with health insurer Health Net.
Edited by Amanda Ciccatelli
