City vouches for stolen laptops’ security

From staff reports
Published: November 7, 2008

After receiving numerous calls from residents concerned about two stolen laptops containing voter identifications, Charlottesville officials on Friday released new details about the computers’ security measures to prevent identity theft.

Essentially, the security measures were better than originally thought, according to city spokesman Ric Barrick.

The information on the computers was not only encrypted, but the passwords to access the information expired after the polls closed, making it even less likely the information could be obtained, he said.

The computers held voters’ names, addresses, phone numbers, years of birth and Department of Motor Vehicles ID numbers, most of which is public information.

No Social Security numbers were on the laptops, he said.

The theft happened sometime between 9 p.m. Tuesday and 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, after someone threw a cinderblock through glass doors at the Tonsler Park Recreation Center and stole the laptops, according to police.

The center, at 501 Cherry Ave., served as the polling place Tuesday.