ROCHESTER -- Personal information for some power customers in Central New York may have been compromised.
New York State Electric and Gas and Rochester Gas and Electric have started warning customers of unauthorized access to their information. Both companies are subsidiaries of Iberdrola USA.
The company says a worker at an independent software development consulting firm allowed someone to get the access. The information includes Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and possibly bank account numbers. The company says there is no evidence that any of the data has been misused, or that there was malicious intent.
The company, along with the Public Service Commission, are investigating the incident. NYSEG/RG&E says it has consulted with law enforcement and computer forensic experts.
"We take our responsibility to protect customer information very seriously and we have robust information technology security measures in place," said Mark S. Lynch, president of NYSEG and RG&E. "The matter was reported to law enforcement authorities, and as a precautionary measure, we are offering NYSEG and RG&E customers the option of a credit monitoring service at no charge."
A help line has been established to assist NYSEG and RG&E customers. The help line numbers are 1-877-736-4495 (toll-free) and 1-479-573-7373 (for international callers). The help line will be staffed from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Eastern Time), Monday through Friday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
