BOSTON, Mass. (WWLP) – Just in the last month, state Auditor Suzanne Bump found that two state agencies put the personal data of thousands of Massachusetts residents at risk of being stolen.
Bump’s office, which is responsible for holding state government accountable, uncovered a severe lack of personal information security in both the Department of Revenue and the Department of Transitional Assistance.
When it comes to DOR, Bump found that sensitive taxpayer data, including Social Security numbers, were vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
“We suspected when we looked at the Department of Revenue that we were going to find inadequacies in their protections of * this personal information, and indeed we did find that,” bump said.
Much like with DOR, Bump found that DTA was also putting personal information at risk, including residents’ financial history, past occupations, and the names of everyone living in their household.
In order for your personal information to be fully protected, Bump is recommending that all state agencies adopt a better cybersecurity plan.
The state legislature will have to approve the data protection plan, but in the mean time, the auditor recommends that you keep a close eye on your financial records to make sure your info didn’t already end up in the wrong hands.
