Comments on: ChoicePoint data loss may be higher than reported

SEC filing raises questions about whether the security breach went beyond the 145,000 Americans notified.

[Stating]

NoChoicePoint

So now NoChoicePoint is saying that as many as 50 companies conned them into disclosing sensitive information. That is up from the "few" that they said last week, and the "1" in 2002. I guess they improved their systems with time. Maybe next year it will be hundreds. We can only hope. Practice makes perfect.

www.nochoicepoint.com

The Quality Of Their Data Is About As Good As The Quality Of Their Controls

Apparently the quality of their data is about as good at the quality of their internal controls and management. A recent article in MSNBC highlighted several people who somehow obtained the information that ChoicePoint was selling about them. It was rife with errors, inaccuracies and just plain garbage.

How many people have been denied jobs, loans, insurance policies, credit, or even an apartment by the garbage that has been aggregated by this company?

It seems that just merge data from a myriad of suppliers on any data field that matches. It sounds like they buy data with little checking or verification and do even less cleaning or verification when they merge this information. Remember the old adage "Garbage In Garbage Out"? I would like to see the dossier they have on John Smith.

The idea that our law enforcement or Federal agencies would rely on such data is mind boggling. How can they do their job if the data is not good? Maybe its time for these agencies to cancel their subscription with ChoicePoint and others like it and find new suppliers. Stop wasting our money on poor products and stop providing data to companies such as these.

It seems that every regulator and government agency has ChoicePoint in their crosshairs now tht a Senator's data was mishandled. A check of the business news for ChoicePoint listed several Class Action lawsuits being prepared on the behalf of shareholders. I would say that the gig is just about up for ChoicePoint and Mr. Smith.

[John Kuzak]

checking or verification

http://www.analogstereo.com/alfa_romeo_166_owners_manual.htm