Major security breach in Latvian tax authority’s computer system alarms officials

Latvia grapples with theft of tax data

RIGA, Latvia — Latvian officials are struggling to come to grips with an enigmatic group that stole millions of classified tax documents from government computers in a purported effort to expose waste and graft in Europe’s weakest economy.

An organization calling itself the People’s Army of the Fourth Awakening says it downloaded the documents after finding a hole in the tax authority’s Web site.

A person with the signature “Neo” has posted some of the information — including income and wealth of public officials — on the Internet.

The incident has embarrassed politicians and public officials, who often make many times the average salary, at a time when Latvia is undergoing painful budget cutbacks to rebound from a severe recession.