News Summary

COLUMBUS — Local governments, school districts, nursing homes and other vendors doing business with the state all had sensitive information on the state's backup computer tape that was stolen from an intern's car, Gov. Ted Strickland said Saturday.

The analysis of the tape continues and another press conference is scheduled today for the possible release of more information.

Other information on the tape includes Social Security numbers, addresses and phone numbers of 53,797 participants in the state's pharmacy benefits managment program, Social Security numbers of 75,532 of their dependents, as well as the names and Social Security numbers of 64,467 state employees.

Late Friday, Strickland called for Inspector General Thomas Charles to investigate the circumstances surrounding the theft and the state's response.

The tape was stolen from Jared A. Ilovar, a 22-year-old part-time intern who left it in his car overnight last Sunday in the parking lot of his suburban Hilliard apartment complex. Strickland issued an executive order to change the policy that made the intern one of the employees permitted to take the backup tape home for security purposes.

"People in higher levels of decision-making," not the intern, "should be held accountable for mistakes in judgment," Strickland said. The intern has been reassigned from the work he was doing on the state's payroll and accounting system, said Keith Dailey, Strickland's spokesman.

Strickland said that experts have told him it would require "specific expertise or specific equipment" to access the data.