DMGChoicePoint Breach Not the First
Wired News reports that the recent breach at ChoicePoint wasn't the first. ChoicePoint has been faked out before.
According to the Times, Bibiana Benson pleaded guilty to opening ChoicePoint accounts in 2000 by using a real estate broker's license and driver's license for identification. Both licenses were fake, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Krause.
There's no indication that anyone was notified of the 2000 breach, and ChoicePoint spokesman Chuck Jones brazenly blew off the question, saying that he couldn't comment on the breach because he wasn't with ChoicePoint at the time.
Well go find out, and fast, Chuckie. I'm sure there are a few lawyers who might be interested.
[Update: 03/04] It just gets worse. Ars Technica reports that "the SEC has launched an informal insider trading inquiry into the sales of ChoicePoint stock by [ChoicePoint CEO Derek] Smith and other executives, the timing of which may be connected with news of the data theft becoming public."