The Indiana State Personnel Department has wrapped up its investigation into state employees using their government email accounts for cheating matchmaker site Ashley Madison.
“No state employees were demoted, suspended or terminated as a result of Ashley Madison activity on their state email accounts,” said Ashley Hungate, spokesperson for the State Personnel Department.
The state examined the issue in light of Ashley Madison hackers posting thousands of government email domains online, including accounts from the State of Indiana and cities of Indianapolis, Carmel, Franklin, Bloomington, Greenwood and South Bend.
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The data dump included email address that appeared to be from the Indiana Department of Correction, Attorney General, Teacher’s Retirement Fund and the Commission for Higher Education.
The email domains were part of a massive data breach by hackers of the Ashley Madison website, which claims to have 39 million members and boasts about being a matchmaker for cheating spouses.
“Only two of the email accounts were valid and investigated,” said Hungate.
Both of the valid email accounts belonged to employees with the Indiana Department of Correction, according to Hungate.
Hungate declined to say whether the employees were disciplined in any manner.
“We only report on discipline that results in suspension, demotion or termination,” said Hungate.
Hungate told Call 6 Investigator Kara Kenney on August 21 the state was investigating the validity of the in.gov email addresses on the Ashley Madison data dump, and whether it violated the employee Information Resources Use Agreement.
“If such activity is found, the State Personnel Department and affected agency will take action as appropriate,” said Hungate on August 21.
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The hackers’ data also included Indianapolis or indy.gov email addresses, possibly including workers with the fire department, police department, sheriff’s department and public works.
“To-date, our investigation related to the Ashley Madison hack has not indicated that any employee violated the city’s technology use policy or other policies,” said Jen Pittman, Communications Director for Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard. “The email addresses in and of themselves did not establish a policy violation, and we have not discovered any other information to suggest that a policy violation occurred.”
The city of Indianapolis does have a policy that limits use of city email addresses to official business purposes and minimum personal use, said Pittman.
