As you begin preparations for tax season you might not be feeling a lot of government love. In fact, with the economy the way it is right now, you might be feeling downright hostile. And as you review your household budget yet again for one more way to cut back on expenses, you might be dripping tears onto your keyboard.

Here’s some (sort of) good news from the Identity Theft Resource Center that might help you lighten up a little: Government agencies were responsible for only 16.7% of all data breaches in 2008.

And now the bad news (because when the subject is data breaches, there’s always going to be some bad news): There were 656 data breaches last year, representing a 47% increase in the number of data breaches that occurred in 2007.

Local, state and federal governments were to blame for a total of 110 information leaks last year. The causes for those data losses break down as follows:

• 28 resulted from the improper protection of information while traveling over the government network.
• 22 were attributed to insider theft.
• 20 occurred when employees accidentally exposed citizens’ information.
• 15 have been chalked up to subcontractors with sloppy systems security.
• 5 were the product of hackers.

Which federal agency wins the prize for the biggest bungling of data protection? The U.S. Army wins this dubious distinction for their inadvertent Internet posting of promotion selection lists that contained the names and Social Security numbers of more than 50,000 officers.

So, what does all this tell us? While you’re trimming your budget leave an extra $9 a month for Life Lock protection services. Enroll using the LifeLock discount code Defense for the lowest available price.

An Ohio appeals court ruling makes it possible for Cynthia Lambert to sue an elected official. Lambert tried – and failed—to sue Greg Hartmann, Hamilton County Clerk of Courts, when her identity was stolen, and her credit and finances were left in ruins.

Cynthia Lambert’s identity theft nightmare started with a speeding ticket she received in 2003. The Hamilton County Clerk of Courts posted her speeding ticket on their website, according to county policy. Anyone viewing the website had access to her name, address, Social Security number, birth date and other personal information.

Lambert’s ID theft led to her being billed for $20,000 in fraudulent purchases, 4% of the $500,000 in total purchases made by Traci Sutherland. Sutherland admitted that she was part of a crime ring that used the website to steal more than 100 identities, and was convicted for her crimes.

Hartmann has since shut down the website that was such a pot of gold for identity thieves. However, the Clerk of Courts’ office continues to post other documents that expose personal information. Hartmann said that to block that information would cost millions of dollars.

The appeals court decision is good news for people whose identities have already been stolen, but wouldn’t you rather avoid it altogether? If you think that you may become a victim of identity theft then Visit LifeLock.com to see how they can help to protect you even when government offices put you at risk. Sign up for their award-winning identity theft protection using promo code Defense for the best price.