Another Wisconsin mailing exposes Social Security numbers
Technorati Tag: Security Breach
Date Reported:
1/9/08
Organization:
State of Wisconsin
Contractor/Consultant/Branch:
Department of Revenue
Department of Administration
Victims:
Wisconsin residents who itemized deductions, received a 2006 Wisconsin income tax refund, AND live in Freedom, Kaukauna, Keshena, Kimberly, Krakow, Lakewood, Lena, Little Chute, Little Suamico, or Marinette community.
Number Affected:
5,000
Types of Data:
Name, address and Social Security number.
Breach Description:
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue announced that as many as 5,000 mailings were sent to residents in which Social Security numbers were exposed through the envelope window. The error is being blamed on a "misfold" on Form 1099-G.
Reference URL:
Wisconsin Department of Revenue News Release
The Associated Press Story at greenbaygazette.com
Report Credit:
Wisconsin Department of Revenue
Response:
From the online sources cited above:
The Department of Administration (DOA) and Department of Revenue (DOR) learned on January 9, 2008, that during a mailing, a printing misfold led to some social security numbers on Form 1099-G being partially visible through the window envelope.
[Evan] Oh boy! Not again.
The State of Wisconsin apologizes for this error and is taking steps to assist any taxpayer that may be affected.
You may be affected if all the following apply:
You itemized your deductions AND received a 2006 Wisconsin income tax refund. The forms at risk were sent to the following communities with a postmark of January 2, 2008: Freedom, Kaukauna, Keshena, Kimberly, Krakow, Lakewood, Lena, Little Chute, Little Suamico, and Marinette.
Only the social security number of the “primary” taxpayer were printed on the Form 1099-G.
DOA, the agency responsible for printing, folding and mailing the Form 1099-G, corrected the problem with the folding machine.
[Evan] "DOA" is the Department of Administration.
DOA and DOR identified which machine malfunctioned, what zip codes were impacted, and which taxpayers’ social security numbers were potentially viewable through the window envelope.
DOR contacted the taxpayers potentially affected and offered instructions on how to apply for one year of free credit monitoring.
[Evan] One year of free credit monitoring is better than nothing, but hardly adequate. Credit monitoring only alerts a victim after the attacker has committed fraud. When confidential information is disclosed, the information is disclosed forever, not for only a year.
A letter to affected taxpayers was mailed the week of January 14, 2007. If your social security number is identified as one of the 5,000 potentially affected by the misfolding, you will receive a letter.
The social security number is required by the Internal Revenue Service to be placed on all 1099 forms. The social security number is necessary to ensure that income reported on the form belongs to the taxpayer.
Taxpayers who receive a letter with a Equifax PIN should follow the instructions to apply for free credit monitoring. There are other steps that can be taken to protect personal information. Ask credit bureaus to place a “fraud alert” in your credit files for free. Fraud alerts notify potential credit grantors to verify your indetification before extending credit in your name. You can also place a “security freeze” on your credit report, which prohibits a credit bureau from releasing information in your credit report without your express authorization. You must request a freeze in writing by certified mail with each of the three credit bureaus, and there is a $10 fee per credit bureau.
Commentary:
This is the second similar (mailing) breach involving the State of Wisconsin in the last week!
Maybe the State of Wisconsin should QA their folding machines and other mailing processes before sending. I have not worked in a mailing shop before, but don't they do test runs before production runs?
At least the Packers are in the NFC Championship game. Go Pack!
Past Breaches:
January, 2008 - Wisconsin Dept. of Health and Family Services mails Social Security numbers
December, 2006 - Wisconsin mails tax forms with Social Security numbers printed on them
Date Reported:1/9/08
Organization:
State of Wisconsin
Contractor/Consultant/Branch:
Department of Revenue
Department of Administration
Victims:
Wisconsin residents who itemized deductions, received a 2006 Wisconsin income tax refund, AND live in Freedom, Kaukauna, Keshena, Kimberly, Krakow, Lakewood, Lena, Little Chute, Little Suamico, or Marinette community.
Number Affected:
5,000
Types of Data:
Name, address and Social Security number.
Breach Description:
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue announced that as many as 5,000 mailings were sent to residents in which Social Security numbers were exposed through the envelope window. The error is being blamed on a "misfold" on Form 1099-G.
Reference URL:
Wisconsin Department of Revenue News Release
The Associated Press Story at greenbaygazette.com
Report Credit:
Wisconsin Department of Revenue
Response:
From the online sources cited above:
The Department of Administration (DOA) and Department of Revenue (DOR) learned on January 9, 2008, that during a mailing, a printing misfold led to some social security numbers on Form 1099-G being partially visible through the window envelope.
[Evan] Oh boy! Not again.
The State of Wisconsin apologizes for this error and is taking steps to assist any taxpayer that may be affected.
You may be affected if all the following apply:
You itemized your deductions AND received a 2006 Wisconsin income tax refund. The forms at risk were sent to the following communities with a postmark of January 2, 2008: Freedom, Kaukauna, Keshena, Kimberly, Krakow, Lakewood, Lena, Little Chute, Little Suamico, and Marinette.
Only the social security number of the “primary” taxpayer were printed on the Form 1099-G.
DOA, the agency responsible for printing, folding and mailing the Form 1099-G, corrected the problem with the folding machine.
[Evan] "DOA" is the Department of Administration.
DOA and DOR identified which machine malfunctioned, what zip codes were impacted, and which taxpayers’ social security numbers were potentially viewable through the window envelope.
DOR contacted the taxpayers potentially affected and offered instructions on how to apply for one year of free credit monitoring.
[Evan] One year of free credit monitoring is better than nothing, but hardly adequate. Credit monitoring only alerts a victim after the attacker has committed fraud. When confidential information is disclosed, the information is disclosed forever, not for only a year.
A letter to affected taxpayers was mailed the week of January 14, 2007. If your social security number is identified as one of the 5,000 potentially affected by the misfolding, you will receive a letter.
The social security number is required by the Internal Revenue Service to be placed on all 1099 forms. The social security number is necessary to ensure that income reported on the form belongs to the taxpayer.
Taxpayers who receive a letter with a Equifax PIN should follow the instructions to apply for free credit monitoring. There are other steps that can be taken to protect personal information. Ask credit bureaus to place a “fraud alert” in your credit files for free. Fraud alerts notify potential credit grantors to verify your indetification before extending credit in your name. You can also place a “security freeze” on your credit report, which prohibits a credit bureau from releasing information in your credit report without your express authorization. You must request a freeze in writing by certified mail with each of the three credit bureaus, and there is a $10 fee per credit bureau.
Commentary:
This is the second similar (mailing) breach involving the State of Wisconsin in the last week!
Maybe the State of Wisconsin should QA their folding machines and other mailing processes before sending. I have not worked in a mailing shop before, but don't they do test runs before production runs?
At least the Packers are in the NFC Championship game. Go Pack!
Past Breaches:
January, 2008 - Wisconsin Dept. of Health and Family Services mails Social Security numbers
December, 2006 - Wisconsin mails tax forms with Social Security numbers printed on them
Posted by Evan Francen at 1/15/2008 1:26 PM 
Categories: Poor Business Practice, Mailing Error, State of Wisconsin
Categories: Poor Business Practice, Mailing Error, State of Wisconsin
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