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That FCC systems were hacked is more reason for investors in...

That FCC systems were hacked is more reason for investors in broadcast licensees not to give the agency their Social Security numbers, said a foe representing broadcasters opposed to such disclosure. The lawyer, Harry Cole of Fletcher Heald, cited a…

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recent GAO report on such a security breach at the commission in September 2011. It’s “especially galling” that during the period the GAO said the FCC didn’t take adequate steps to protect its systems against another hacking incident, “the Commission has proposed to force a large universe of individuals to trust the FCC with their social security numbers,” Cole wrote on the law firm’s blog Thursday (http://bit.ly/128Y8Dm). “And in so doing, the Commission hasn’t bothered to mention that the computer systems on which those numbers would presumably be maintained have already been shown to be vulnerable to hackers.” A commission spokesman had no comment. The agency has proposed to end an exemption allowing some not to provide Social Security numbers for biennial Form 323 broadcast ownership disclosures (CD Jan 4 p5).