March 5, 2003
RE: ON-LINE EZTAG STORE SECURITY BREACH
Dear EZ TAG Patron:
You have probably either seen or heard about a Channel 2 news report which aired yesterday afternoon regarding a breach in the on-line EZ TAG Store security system. In response to that story we?d like to offer the following information which will hopefully address some of your concerns:
Approximately one month ago, HCTRA?s on-line program developer discovered a possible security concern. Our system was shut down for about 24 hours and the problem was corrected. As the issue had been resolved, the on-line TAG Store was reopened.
The security breach that was reported in the media on March 4, 2003 is an entirely new issue which was discovered by an anonymous ?hacker? who went straight to the media with the information. The website was shut down within 10 minutes of it being brought to our attention, and we are in the process of correcting the situation and reviewing all security measures to ensure the integrity of our security system.
As of this writing, we have had NO REPORTED INCIDENTS OF IDENTITY THEFT, AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO ACCOUNTS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED AS A RESULT OF THIS SECURITY ISSUE. For a ?hacker? to have found that security ?window? and gained unauthorized access to account information indicates that this particular individual had an extensive computer background and a dedicated commitment to breaching the security system. It was not a breach that could easily have been implemented by the average computer user and we have had no indication that the system had been breached by anyone other than the anonymous ?hacker? and the media for demonstration purposes.
Under these circumstances, however, we would suggest that you monitor your credit card and EZ TAG statements over the next few reporting periods and advise us of any concerns that you may have. If you would feel more comfortable changing you EZ TAG account or credit card information, we would be happy to do that for you.
We apologize for the inconvenience this problem has created and hope that you will be assured that the security of your EZ TAG account information has always and will continue to be one of our highest priorities. Please contact our EZ TAG office at 281-875-3279 if we can provide you with additional information or assistance.
Sincerely,
EZ TAG Services
PWF:
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