Hackers broke into a database and stole the names, Social Security numbers and email addresses of more than 55,000 students, former students and employees at the University of Texas at Austin, university officials said. According to a statement by the school, officials expect to know “within a few days” where the data went beyond those who captured it. It is not clear if the information was used to illegally obtain credit cards or withdraw money from bank accounts. School officials said they were notifying the people victimized.

The discovery was made on Sunday night when computer systems personnel discovered the malfunction. Subsequent analysis revealed that a security weakness in an administrative data reporting system was exploited by writing a program to input millions of Social Security numbers. Those SSNs that matched selected individuals in a UT database were captured, together with e-mail address, title, department name, department address, department phone number, and names/dates of employee training programs attended, according to Daniel Updegrove, the vice president for information technology at UT Austin.

The school is working with the U.S. attorney's office and secret service and other law enforcement agencies.

Questions regarding data stolen should be sent to datatheft@its.utexas.edu.

Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security, Asa Hutchinson, and Assistant Secretary (designee), Michael Garcia, announced the appointment of Interim Regional Directors and Interim District Directors for Interior Enforcement in the new Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (BICE). Customs enforcement will continue under its existing field structure and leadership. The appointments are effective as of on March 1.

The interim directors will work out of the current locations of the 33 INS District Offices and the three INS regional offices.

The BICE is one of three components of the Border and Transportation Security Directorate under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The new Bureau will be responsible for enforcement of customs and immigration laws. In addition, the Bureau will also be responsible for protecting federal buildings against terrorist and other threats.

The Bureau's 14,000 employees will be comprised primarily of Customs Service and Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) Special Agents, INS Detention and Deportation Officers, INS' Immigration Litigation Section, and Federal Protective Service (FPS) employees. Customs air and marine interdiction functions, as well as the Intelligence components of Customs and INS, and FPS will also be part of BICE.

President Bush has nominated Acting INS Commissioner Michael Garcia to be the first Assistant Secretary of BICE. Commissioner Garcia will report to Asa Hutchinson, the Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security.

Interim BICE Regional Directors
Eastern Region, Paula Corrigan
Central Region, Robert A. Wallis
Western Region, Anthony Esposito

Interim BICE Directors

Eastern Region Locations:
" Atlanta, William Fred Alexander
" Baltimore, Calvin McCormick
" Boston, Steve Farquharson
" Buffalo, Mike McLaughlin
" Cleveland, Linda Rabbett
" Detroit, Phillip Wrona
" Miami, James Goldman
" New Orleans, James "Mike" Johnston
" New York City, Edward McElroy
" Newark, Demetrios Georgakopoulos
" Philadelphia, Bill Riley
" Portland, Maine, Maria Hurley
" San Juan, Puerto Rico, Myrna Pere
" Washington District, Warren Lewis

Central Region Locations:
" Chicago, Cynthia O'Connell
" Dallas, Anne Estrada
" Denver, Scott Weber
" El Paso, Troy Henley
" Harlingen, Phillip Tutak
" Helena, Tom Homan
" Houston, Mike McMahon
" Kansas City, Robert Smith
" Omaha, Alonzo Martinez, Jr.
" San Antonio, Frank Chavarria
" St. Paul, Mark Cangemi

Western Region Locations:
" Anchorage, Robert Eddy
" Honolulu, Don Radcliffe
" Los Angeles, Ron Smith
" Phoenix, Pat Schmidt
Portland, Oregon, Phil Crawford
" San Diego, Wayne Wills
" San Francisco, Mark Riordan
" Seattle, Aaron Wilson

Event -- 2003 Homeland Security Forum - the State of Dallas Business Readiness: March 19

The Bill J. Priest Institute for Economic Development is hosting a forum to discuss the strategies Metroplex agencies and organizations have in place to secure Dallas if a disaster occurs. The forum will be from 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. on March 19 at the Bill Priest Institute at 1402 Cornith Street in Dallas. The cost for the event is $25 per person and reservations should be made by calling 214-860-5759. Topics will include "Corporate Security in the Digital Age," "Downtown Emergency Response Plan" and "Healthcare's Response to Bioterriorism."

A training conference directed at government and industry on the outlook for the fiscal year 2003 budget and programs will be held at 8 a.m. on April 3 in the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza located on South Olive Street in Los Angeles. Topics include:
" Technology and R&D Business Opportunities
" Risk Minimization and Avoidance for Government and Corporate Executives
" Grants Workshop

Speakers scheduled to appear include Governor Gray Davis; Jones Dallas, Executive Director of the Governor's Office of Emergency Services; George Vinson, Special Advisor on California Security, and Congresswoman Jane Harman, Head of House Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security

For more information, including registration costs, see http://www.marketaccess.org/event_hd_outlook_la.asp