Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- The former director of computer security for the South Carolina Department of Revenue says the security of taxpayer information didn't get the attention it deserved at the agency.

Scott Shealy testified Thursday before a special House committee investigating how a hacker accessed 4 million state tax returns, getting information like Social Security numbers and bank account numbers. His hands and voice shook sometimes as he spoke.

Shealy left the Revenue Department in September 2011, a year before the hacker attacked. He says his bosses felt it was more important to block employees from seeing websites on their computers than securing sensitive information. He says he suggested encrypting data and making signing into the system more secure, but was ignored.

Shealy now handles computer information for Chief Justice Jean Toal.

(Copyright 2013, The Associated Press)