In 2007, Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) documented paper and electronic breaches potentially affecting more than 127 million records.

Security Breaches in the News

In 2007, Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) documented 448 paper and electronic breaches, potentially affecting more than 127 million records. This is a significant increase from 2006 which listed in excess of 315 publicized breaches affecting nearly 20 million individuals. In 2005 there were 158 incidents affecting more than 64.8 million people.

Click below for details on the reported breaches:

For another source of reported breaches, check out Attrition.org.

Here are some of the breaches reported over the last couple of years include:

• Hackers Harpoon US Executives with Phony Email Subpoenas, May 2008, federal court officials warn that hackers are emailing phone subpoenas embedded with malicious software to high-ranking executives to steal valuable corporate information.
  
• Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey, January 2008, stolen laptop computer with personal information on 300,000 member accounts including Social Security numbers
• Georgetown University, January 2008, stolen hard driving with personal information on 38,000 students, alumni, faculty and staff including Social Security numbers
• Davidson County (TN) Election Commission, December 2007, stolen computers with personal information on 337,000 voters including Social Security numbers
• U.S. Air Force, November 2007, missing laptop computer with personal information on 10,501 active and retired Air Force members including Social Security numbers
• Gap Inc., September 2007, stolen laptop computers with personal information on 800,000 job applicants including Social Security numbers
• Connecticut Department of Revenue Services, August 2007, stolen laptop computer with personal information on 107,600 state taxpayers including Social Security numbers
• Department of Veteran's Affairs, June 2007, unauthorized access to computer data allowed personal information on 1,800,000 veteran records to be stolen including Social Security numbers
• Ohio Office of Budget and Management, June 2007, stolen backup data tape with personal information on 500,000 state taxpayers including Social Security numbers
• University of Colorado Boulder, May 2007, unauthorized access via the Internet allowed hackers access to personal information on 45,000 students including Social Security numbers
• SAIC Inc., May 2007, exposure of unencrypted personal information transmitted via the Internet on 867,000 military personnel including Social Security numbers
• University of Missouri, May 2007, unauthorized access via the Internet allowed hackers access to personal data on 22,396 employees including Social Security numbers
• Securitas Security Service, April 2007, stolen laptop computers with personal information on 100,000 current and former employees including Social Security numbers
• Community College of S. Nevada, February 2007, Internet virus allowed hackers access to personal data on 197,000 current and past students including Social Security numbers
• Iowa Department of Education, February 2007, unauthorized access via the Internet allowed hackers access to personal data on 160,000 GED recipients including Social Security numbers
• Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, January 2007, unauthorized access via the Internet allowed hackers access to personal data on 300,000 licensees and applicants including Social Security numbers
• TJX, December 2006, unauthorized access via the Internet allowed hackers access to personal data on 45,700,000 (later updated to as many as 94,000,000) customers including credit card and debit card information; "This is the largest security breach we've ever had worldwide" said an analyst with research firm Gartner
• MoneyGram, December 2006, unlawful access via the Internet allowed hackers access to personal and bank account information on 79,000 customers
• University of California Los Angeles, November 2006, unauthorized access via the Internet allowed hackers access to personal data on 800,000 current and former students including Social Security numbers
• TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. and ETrade Financial Corp., October 2006, keylogging Trojan horses were used to allow access to customers brokerage accounts resulting in losses exceeding $22,000,000.00
• AT&T, August 2006, phishing allowed hackers to access personal data via the Internet of 19,000 customers including credit card information
• Nebraska Treasurer's Office, June 2006, unauthorized access via the Internet allowed hackers access to personal data on 309,000 individuals and corporations in the child support system including Social Security numbers