A computer laptop with the names and Social Security numbers of more than 100,000 Connecticut taxpayers has been stolen, the Department of Revenue Services said.
Agency officials don’t know if anyone has gained access to the data, but said the computer is password-protected and access is unlikely by anyone without specialized knowledge.
Law enforcement authorities have been notified and are investigating.
The 106,000 people affected are about 10 percent of all individual taxpayers in Connecticut, said Sarah Kaufman, a spokeswoman for the agency.
The laptop, which has been missing a week, was stolen while away from the DRS premises in Hartford, she said. No other information was available as agency officials investigate.
Information on the laptop was duplicated, allowing tax officials to determine who is affected.
Beginning as early as Wednesday, Connecticut taxpayers will be able to log on to the agency’s Web site and determine if their names and Social Security numbers were among those stolen, Kaufman said.
“We don’t want to unnecessarily panic people,” she said. “This is a serious issue and we’re handling it seriously. To our knowledge, this is the first time anything like this has happened.”
Gov. M. Jodi Rell said in a statement that state officials will seek stronger measures to protect private information.
“While there is no indication that any information has been compromised in this instance, I want to assure citizens that everything that can be done will be done to safeguard residents’ personal data,” she said.
