Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts reported Monday that a number of confidential records were inadvertently made available on one of her agency’s data servers.
Employees Retirement System (ERS) is required by state law to provide certain member information to the CPA on an annual basis. These records include information on current and former state employees and retirees. The press release states that there is no indication that the personal information was misused.
ERS is concerned about the potential implications of this incident on our members and retirees, they learned that the file was stored on one of the CPA’s servers that was accessible to the public. Once on this server, the file lost its protection. You may visit ERS website for more details.
What data did the file contain?
The identifying information includes names, addresses, birthdates and social security numbers. Fortunately, the comptroller’s press release states that they do not believe the information was misused. When it was discovered at the CPA office, it was immediately removed from the server. CPA used the data in conjunction with their unclaimed property division.
Where to go for more information
Although the CPA states that there is no indication that the data file was discovered outside of the CPA, the comptroller is advising affected individuals to monitor their credit. The CPA has opened a toll-free phone line (855-474-2065) for people to call to see if their record was included in the information. They have also set up a website at www.TXsafeguard.org with additional information.
The comptroller’s office is sending a notification to everyone whose records were affected.
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