U.S. SENATOR PATRICK LEAHY

Reaction Of Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.),
Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee,
To The Latest Data Security Breach, At Seisint
(A Subsidiary of LexisNexis)
Wednesday, March 9, 2005

[NOTE: Leahy will testify Thursday at 2:30 p.m. at the Senate Banking Committee’s hearing on privacy breaches of personal and financial data.]

“This is the latest window on security weaknesses that jeopardize the personal information that data brokers hold about every American, and the view is a chilling one.  We are vulnerable not only to run-of-the-mill thieves but also potentially to sophisticated scams, organized crime or even terrorists.  If criminals can breach these security arrangements, there is a danger that terrorists may also be able to.

“Data brokers are also increasingly partners with the government in important law enforcement and homeland security efforts, and their performance in protecting data is one of the important criteria in evaluating those relationships.

“It is time for an audit of security arrangements that federal agencies have with these data brokers for the databanks that they manage for the federal government. 

“We need to think proactively and treat these data troves with the same level of care and protection that we would any other valuables.  Our peace-of-mind, our economy and even our nation’s security depend on it.”