Article Contributed on: 10/1/2008 2:53:44 PM
Foothills Park & Rec. website illegally accessed; personal information may be compromised
Foothills Park & Recreation District in South Jefferson County is working with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office in the investigation of a theft of information from the district's computer network. The information - that appears to have been accessed through an illegal hacking - could contain credit card information and other personal information that could be used to commit identity theft. If information has, in fact, been stolen, it appears to be credit card information for individuals who have registered for classes either online at www.ifoothills.org or at one of Foothills Park & Recreation District's facilities.
Foothills Executive Director
Ronald Hopp said, "It is very disturbing that despite the security measures that were in effect, a rogue hacker was still successful in obtaining this information." He went on to state, "Additional protections are being installed, and on-line registration will not be available until these measures are implemented." Hopp informed that the district has hired a network security consultant who will be auditing the systems and making recommendations for future security measures, and all internal systems and processes are being reviewed in an effort to eliminate the possibility of this happening again.
Individual patrons whose information may have been compromised will be notified by Foothills Park & Recreation District directly and provided with additional information. As a precaution, it is suggested that patrons consider contacting each of the three major credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) and request a "fraud alert" be placed in their file so that they are contacted before allowing new accounts to be opened or existing accounts to be changed. It is also suggested patrons request a credit report from each agency and review them carefully.
The district has created an information page on its website (www.ifoothills.org/securityalert/) for individuals who are concerned that their information may have been on the network. The web site contains helpful phone numbers, information on next steps to take, and links to credit reporting agencies. In addition, the district has set up a special number at (303) 409-2124 to answer specific questions not addressed on the website.