The state Office of Technology has sent letters to 5,600 citizens and businesses notifying them that a security breach at the state Web site allowed a hacker to view their credit card numbers.
The state learned of the breach on Jan. 25 and started mailing out notices the second week of February, according to Christopher Cotterill, director of the state's IN.gov Web site.
"Our emphasis is on notifying people and making sure it doesn't happen again," Cotterill said.
When customers go online to purchase state services or pay fees, their credit card number is encrypted, shortened to the last four digits, and not retained any longer than is necessary for a transaction.
However, some credit cards were captured in a computer log due to human error and kept for some time, Cotterill said. A hacker who broke into the system sometime in January was able to view the credit card numbers.
The Secretary of State's office appears to have been one state agency affected. The Bureau of Motor Vehicles was not effected, according to spokesman Greg Cook.
Customers' credit card companies have been notified, along with major consumer reporting agencies. The state requested that those accounts be put on a watch list to track them for potentially fraudulent activity.
However, Cotterill noted it takes some time for the watch to actually be implemented, and some customers have reported their accounts are not yet on the list.
The U.S. Secret Service, which is the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Treasury, has been notified, along with other law enforcement agencies, Cotterill said.
The state has taken steps to prevent the breach from happening again, including undergoing a security audit by a computer security company.
For more information, people are advised to contact their credit card company. They can also call an emergency hotline at the Office of Technology at (888) 438-8397 if they have questions. Hotline hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The hotline is averaging about 25 calls per day, Cotterill said.
The state has been stricken by a host of computer ills in the past two years, many due to the implementation of new technology at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and other agencies.
