A Blurred Distinction
Stalking through dark alleys in a trench coat and sunglasses this week, staff reporter Ram Luthra slyly dug up information about the general public, including Skiff editors. (Or maybe he just used the Internet and $19.95.)

By Ram Luthra
Staff Reporter

By simply clicking on the surface of a mouse anyone in the world can access both public and private records over the Internet. The Internet has been a “well” for people to locate all types of information. Some people use this information simply for innocent purposes, while others use this information to perform illegal activities.

Information that can be found on the Internet legally are marriage and divorce information, birth and death records, property tax information and court records. This information is considered public information.

However, adoption records, social security numbers, medical records and juvenile information aren’t considered public information, but can easily be found on the Internet.

For instance, hometown addresses and phone numbers were found of all, but one of, the members of the Skiff editorial board. Along with addresses, the names, phone numbers and addresses of their neighbors could also be gathered via the Internet. Only several current addresses were found. The names of three parents on the editorial staff were also found. No members of the editorial board were found to have been involved in any lawsuits.

Dick Rinewalt, associate professor and chair of the computer science department, said anyone who is a competent Internet user can obtain birth and death records from 1912 or later on state health department Web sites.

“Every TCU student that was born in Texas, or any other state can have their birth records found on the Web,” he said. “People can find out your mother’s maiden name, the county in which you were born, which hospital and other sorts of information.”

Rinewalt said the major problem with this information is the public’s ability to obtain the maiden names of anyone’s mother.

“Most, if not all, credit card and bank corporations require your mother’s name to be the password for their accounts,” he said. “Therefore, if that information can be obtained so easily there is a major security issue. Credit card companies are beginning to realize this and allowing customers to use the password of their choice.”

Though it’s fairly convenient for people to obtain these records, there are many errors and problems with the information. The Texas Department of Health Web site is temporarily unavailable because of inaccurate information about adoption records. According to the Web site, it could be several months before the final review process is completed.

Rinewalt, who has been teaching at TCU for 15 years, said when problems of accuracy do take place it can lead to further problems. These problems can vary from inaccurate credit records to wrongful allegations of being a sex offender.

“These records are required by state law to be public information,” Rinewalt said. “Unfortunately, there are many errors made through simple human transcription. Sometimes a person may be listed as a sex offender, but that person may have their conviction overturned.”

While governmental Web sites release information for the public, there are some Web sites that use this information to make a profit. Certain Web sites, like (USSearch.com) or (uspublicinfo.com), locate a public record report for anyone in the United States. Information that can be found on people include criminal records, social security numbers, marriage and divorce records, sex offender offenses, civil lawsuits, property records and court records. Search costs range from $9.95 to $49.95.

On (carfax.com), anyone can obtain a free instant record check of any automobile. A vehicle identification number is the only thing required to obtain this information. The VIN by looking under the windshield of any vehicle. Other information such as the history of the car can also be found by paying $19.95.

Rinewalt said the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles compiles all driver’s license numbers on a compact disc and sells it to the public.

“If someone purchases the CD from the state for about $600, they can get all the names, addresses, date of births and driver’s license numbers for anyone who has a driver’s license,” he said. “With that information they can simply get a license made with all of that information and go write hot checks and basically do anything.”

As easy as it is to get information from governmental agencies, it is also fairly simple to access information from universities and schools. The TCU registrar’s office releases certain student information if a first and last name is provided. They release the number of hours the student is enrolled in, a student’s classification and whether a student is a full-time or part-time student. However, they do not release student schedules or Social Security numbers.

A natural feeling for many is that these security issues can never happen to them, but at least one incident of computer crime has already been reported at TCU. Campus Police received a complaint Jan. 26 regarding a user on the TCU server who hacked into another person’s computer. The hacker changed the password and kicked the person off of the Internet.

“The problem cannot be ignored,” Rinewalt said. “This type of information can be obtained by anyone — someone next door to you or someone all across the world.”

Rinewalt said some of this information can be prevented to be published on the Web, but it is very difficult and usually a burden.
“There is very little that can be done, because it is out of our hands,” he said. “Nothing can be done to stop the government from publishing this information, but people can prevent private corporations from doing so. The heart of the problem is that the technology is evolving too fast for anyone to make any substantial changes.”

Ram Luthra
r.d.luthra@student.tcu.edu