OH intern loses device with data on all state workers

Gov. Ted Strickland was quick to dismiss the chances that the data was in danger because it would take special equipment to access the storage device. "I don't mean to alarm people unnecessarily," he said. "There's no reason to believe a breach of information has occurred."

Officials didn't release specific information about the theft but they did say the device held information about participants in the state's pharmacy benefits management program and the names and Social Security numbers of their dependents.

The intern who lost the device is a college senior making $10.50/hour while working on the state's $158 million payroll and accounting system.

"I think it's not that big of a deal. The person who stole it would really have to know what he's doing." commented Dawn Rice, an employee in the state Senate clerk's office.

Gov. Strickland stated that it was inappropriate for an intern to be designated that responsibility, and he ordered an end to the practice of employees taking the devices home. Strickland also issued an executive order to change state procedures for handling such data.