Texas Comptroller admits personal data was leaked on Texas residents

Texas State comptroller Susan Combs announced yesterday that personal information on about 3.5 million residents in Texas had been leaked accidentally. Apparently, the personal information was placed on a server that was accessible to the public and the data had been on the server for at least a year before it was noticed.

The data that was on the server includes names, addresses, social security numbers, and possibly birthdates and drivers license numbers. That is just about all the information that an identity thief would need to steal an identity. Combs maintains that at this time there is no evidence that the information has been misused at this time.

"I deeply regret the exposure of the personal information that occurred and am angry that it happened," Combs said. "I want to reassure people that the information was sealed off from any public access immediately after the mistake was discovered, and was then moved to a secure location."

[via Reuters]