Iowa's Senate majority leader will request an inquiry into how a hacker gained access to a state computer system, the Des Moines Register reports. Iowa's Racing and Gaming Commission database, which contained the names, addresses, birthdates and Social Security numbers of 80,000 people, was vulnerable to the January breach because of faulty security patches installed by a contractor, according to state officials. Letters were mailed to alert potential victims, which urged that they take precautions to protect themselves against identity theft. A spokesman for Iowa's governor says the breach illustrates the need for "state consolidation of information technology programs," to ensure "uniform security procedures throughout state government."
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