State publishes 250,000 social security numbers

Historic City News was informed today that Florida’s Agency for Workforce Innovation is continuing to take action to address a recent security breach involving the disclosure of about a quarter of a million social security numbers.

Upon discovery, the Agency immediately contacted the appropriate law enforcement agencies, began a thorough investigation and promptly coordinated with all major external search engine companies to ensure the information was no longer accessible to the public. The Agency has no reason to believe any personal information has been accessed for unlawful purposes.

“We are committed to serving the people of Florida and to maintaining the public trust at its highest level,” said Monesia T. Brown, Director of the Agency for Workforce Innovation. “We are thoroughly investigating this matter and are making every effort to enhance the security of our computer systems.”

The security breach occurred on an Agency test server for 19 days in October 2008 and resulted in the exposure of the names and Social Security Numbers of approximately 250,000 customers who received services through Florida’s One-Stop Career Centers between January 2002 and November 2007.

The Agency is also taking the following actions:

Notifications are currently being mailed to the affected customers.
A complete review of the Agency’s technology policies and procedures is underway.
All affected partners are being notified to ensure optimal customer service and assistance to concerned Floridians.
Management teams are continuing to work diligently to protect the confidentiality of stored personal data.

You can check to see if you are one of the 250,000 potential victims in this egregious mistake by making an inquiry at https://www.floridajobs.org/security/security.htm.