State of Wisconsin flubs identity handling (redux)

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported today that a state mailing may have compromised the identities of thousands of Wisconsinites because of Social Security numbers that were inadvertently printed on mailing labels.

I published a column last year in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after approximately 171,000 taxpayer social security numbers adorned the front of tax booklets. I also mentioned in that column, another breach (not cited in today's Journal Sentinel story) by a human resources aide who mishandled social security numbers of state assembly members.

In the midst of this carelessness, the State Department of Health and Family Services and Governor Doyle's spokesman, Matt Canter, are placing the blame squarely on the vendor, EDS. I remember the Mea Culpa letter last year from the printer that accompanied a similar letter from the Department of Revenue to explain and take responsibility for that debacle. At least, there was a semblance of accountability.

In today's JS story, the Governor's spokesman Matt Canter, suggests that there is a big difference between last year's data goof and this new one because last year the printer had no use for the compromised data, but EDS needed the data to do it's processing this year.  OK, but in both cases, state government provided the data files containing our social security numbers to a vendor. That's not where its responsibility ends. 

The state can acknowledge the problem without placing 100% of the blame on the vendor. An independent examination of its processes and controls to determine what went wrong, is warranted.