Flash player is required to view weather conditions. Download

site web  

COLUMBUS — The theft of a state of Ohio computer backup tape from the car of a state intern has set off two searches — one to find what information the tape contained and the second to find the tape and the thief.

Here are answers to some questions surrounding the case:

Q What happened?

A Jared Ilovar, a 22-year-old part-time state intern employee making $10.50 an hour, left the tape in his car overnight in the parking lot of his suburban Hilliard apartment complex on June 10. He discovered it missing the next morning and reported the theft to police. The state called in the Ohio Highway Patrol to investigate Thursday after determining sensitive personal information was on the tape.

Q Why did an intern have the tape?

A Under a policy in effect since 2002, he was designated as one of several network administrators assigned on a rotating basis to take the backup tape home from a temporary work site for safekeeping in case anything happened to the data at the work site. He wasn't supposed to leave it in his car. He was working on a new state payroll and accounting system but has been reassigned in the office of Budget and Management.

Q Do employees still take the tape home?

A No. Backup tapes are now kept in a locked box at a state location.

Q What is being done to keep this from happening again?

A Gov. Ted Strickland has asked Inspector General Thomas Charles to investigate the circumstances surrounding the theft and the state's response. Also, Strickland has issued an executive order aimed at improving stage agency data privacy and security.

Q Why does Strickland refer to the missing item as a "computer backup device?"

A The police report filed by Ilovar referred to the item as a "computer backup tape in case for state computer" and put its value at $15. Strickland has said he doesn't want to use a more precise term for security reasons.

Q How much is this costing?

A The state is spending an estimated $660,000 to provide identity theft protection to state employees for a year and another $50,000 to hire an expert to help analyze what's on the tape.

Q What's the risk of identity theft or other problems from this?

A Strickland said experts tell him it would require special equipment or knowledge to access the data. Michael Van Buskirk, president of the Ohio Bankers' League, said there was a "fairly remote" chance that the tape could be used to abuse private data but suggested that those affected might want to contact credit monitoring services and their own banks.

Contact this reporter at (614) 224-1608 or whershey@DaytonDailyNews.com.

For more information

Tip line: (877) OHSINTEL or (614) 799-3555.

P.O. Box: The Ohio Highway Patrol has set up a P.O. box for anybody to anonymously mail information related to the theft or to the device itself: P.O. Box 361901, Columbus, OH 43236

Protecting yourself: Up-to-date information and identity theft protection services for employees and dependents 18 and older is available at www.ohio.gov/idprotect. For information on protecting identities of dependents younger than 18, parents and guardians can e-mail childidtheft@transunion.com.

Inquiries: The question "Does a credit file exist in the following name and/or Social Security number?" will be answered yes or no. If the response is yes, it is recommended that the person contact the Identity Theft Resource Center.

Contact: Identity Theft Resource Center, P.O. Box 26833, San Diego, CA 92196; or (858) 693-7935 from noon to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; or itrc@idtheftcenter.org.

State employees seeking more information: (888) 644-6648 (tape-recorded message), (877) 742-5622 (Ohio Consumers Counsel), or (800) 267-4474 (state emergency call center, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday).