Another State Laptop Stolen, Information at Stake

By Dave Jordan, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- For the third time in two months, personal and highly sensitive information involving thousands of Oklahomans is in a criminal's hands.

The personal identities of more than 200,000 Oklahomans are at risk after thieves stole a laptop from the home of a state employee.

The information belonged to people receiving Section 8 vouchers or renting to tenants. The laptop belonged to an Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency field agent who needed access to the data for her job.

Director of Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency, Dennis Shockley said the information, while not encrypted, isn't easily accessible to the thieves who now have that laptop.

"You have to have a login and password to get into the machine and another login and password to get to the file," Shockley said.

This is the third time within two months that a state agency has had a potential security breach.

More on News9.com: Employee Loses 5,500 Social Security Numbers

On April 2, a Department of Human Services worker had a laptop stolen from her vehicle when she stopped to meet up with friends after work.

In a separate incident, a flash drive containing information on Shawnee residents was stolen.

More on News9.com: 1 Million Oklahomans' Personal Information at Risk

In two of those cases, officials doubted the information could be accessed, but Dennis Rigdon, Oklahoma City University's assistant director of campus technology, said it's not impossible.

"If you have an operating system and you have physical access to that computer, there's the likelihood that it could eventually be cracked," Rigdon said.

Rigdon also said there is technology available that could remotely access sensitive information.

"There's really not a critical need to have it on the laptop," Rigdon said. "We can keep it in a secure place."

Shockley said his office was in the process of adding security, which has now become an immediate priority.

"We're going to take this to a higher level of security, one way or another," Shockley said.

Shockley said he is considering all security options, including encryption.