Police Retiree Data Breach

September 9, 2008 – 6:12 pm

Our society is becoming increasingly aware of the ever growing threat of identity theft. It seems that no one is truly safe from identity theft, not even the police. A recent data breach in Columbus Ohio has exposed the personal information of nearly 13,000 retired police officers. These data breaches are a constant reminder of how easily our identity can be compromised. 

A former Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund employee had access to a large database containing the personal information of around thirteen thousand retired officers. Just before leaving his job at the company, he emailed the entire file to his personal email address. The employee left on good terms and is not suspected to use the information for malicious purposes. The breach drew attention quickly because it contained a huge file destined for a non-business address. It is unknown whether the file will land in the hands of identity thieves, but officials are working to contain the breach. The agency has notified those whose identities may have been compromised so they can take steps to safeguard their good names. 

Many companies fail to fully secure sensitive information that their employees have access to. There have been numerous data breaches involving employees taking data home on laptops or storage devices and losing the information. Our information is only as secure as the people who watch over it. That is why so many people are turning to LifeLock identity theft protection. Even if your identity is already in the hands of thieves, Life Lock will keep a constant vigil over you. It also backs your finances with a million dollar guarantee*. For the best discount available, use LifeLock Promo Code Defense.

*Guarantee applies only if you become an id theft victim because of a failure in our service. Other restrictions apply. See LifeLock.com for details.


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