Fragile Technology

Data breach laws bringing data losses to light

Most US states now have laws requiring disclosure of data breaches, for example when personal data is lost or stolen, the company or organisation is required by law to actually tell someone it happened. California led the way in 2003.

Tech News World has a nice summation of a number of high profile breaches covering literally millions of personal records and data sets which have been stolen or lost.

Stolen computer contains 890 patient records

A laptop stolen from a hotel in Chicago contains 890 patient records from Oregon Health & Science University. The laptop's owner, an employee of OHSU, was staying at the hotel on business. OHSU is notifying the patients of the loss of their personal data.

"OHSU said the data is password-protected and may have been deleted before the theft.

It said the data could include medical record numbers, names, telephone numbers, dates of birth, gender, medical diagnosis category and category of treatment - but not the specific treatments, Social Security numbers or addresses."

Thief caught on camera

Software that enables stolen computers to be tracked and call home is proving a useful tool top fight crime.

"Sacramento police are on the hunt for a thief who was shopped by the computer he was trying to steal.

The fellow below turned a stolen Apple Mac on and his photo was instantly taken when he connected with the internet. The laptop was stolen from Hiram Johnson High School. The Sacramento Police Department posted the photograph of a possible thief today on every local TV news show."

HP stolen laptop has employees' data on it

Looks like both HP and Symantec are having a bad time losing stuff.

Hewlett Packard has written to members of its HP benefits programme, including current employees,  to alert them that their personal data may be at risk.

An HP staffer laptop was stolen from the Houston area:

"At first HP thought that there was no sensitive information on the laptop, but after looking into back-up files, the company realized that it contained names and Social Security numbers of current and former employees."

A Symantec employee's computer was stolen from his house - it happened to contain the personal details of 100 staff who were being laid off.

Score One for the Good Guys: Laptop Calls Home

Police have busted an methamphetamine lab in Hoisington, Kansas after a laptop stolen by the suspect 'called home'.

"Security software built into a stolen laptop computer led police to a Hoisington residence on Tuesday. Authorities not only found the computer, but they also uncovered what appears to be a methamphetamine lab.

Detective Denton Doze at the Great Bend Police Department said the $9,000 computer, along with hand tools and power tools, was stolen during a burglary reported last Friday at the My Town project, 1419 Main Street."

Stolen laptop leads to drug bust

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Starbucks laptop with employee data stolen

"A laptop containing private information regarding about 97,000 Starbucks employees in the U.S. was stolen on Oct. 29, the company said in a statement."

Seattle Times

And it isn't the first time for Starbucks:

"In November 2006, the company said it was unable to find four out-of-use laptops at its headquarters.

They contained the names, addresses and Social Security numbers of 50,000 former and 10,000 then-current employees. The Seattle-based company waited two months to disclose the problem while an internal investigation was completed to try to find the computers."

Seattle Post Intelligencer

Valuable pupils’ data lost as laptop is stolen

"PERSONAL information of more than 7,800 school children in Surrey and their parents or carers has gone missing after a laptop containing the files was stolen from a car. The data, which includes names, addresses and contact details of children using the school transport service was provided to Surrey County Council’s software contractor Trapeze."

Farnham Herald

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Tourist attraction staff details on stolen computer

The bank details of several hundred staff from a museum have gone astray because an IT worker, in contravention of company security policy, had their laptop in their car - and of course it was stolen. The staff union claims that management initially told them there was no problem, but later under pressure, confessed all.

NRM bosses blasted after theft of laptop containing personal details

"UNIONS are calling for an urgent investigation after a laptop containing the bank details of workers at one of York’s top tourist attractions was stolen from a car.

The computer – which also held personal and pension data relating to hundreds of staff employed by the National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI), whose sites include York’s National Railway Museum (NRM) – was taken from a vehicle belonging to a private contractor working for the company."

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