Another day, another stolen laptop with confidential data on it:
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Equifax Inc. (EFX.N), one of the three major U.S. credit reporting bureaus, on Tuesday said a laptop computer containing employee names and Social Security numbers was stolen from a worker traveling on a train near London.
The May 29 theft affects nearly all of the Atlanta-based company’s nearly 2,500 U.S. employees, aside from those hired in roughly the last two months, spokesman David Rubinger said.
Personal data of millions of consumers who obtain credit scores from Equifax were not compromised, Rubinger said. Equifax employs about 4,600 people worldwide.
The data theft is the latest of many, potentially affecting tens of millions of people. Rubinger said British authorities were investigating the matter.
According to Equifax, the laptop contained names and partial or full Social Security numbers.
Doesn’t anyone believe in information security anymore ? I’m usually not one to advocate this, but maybe its time that the companies that we entrust with private information were subjected to civil liability when they don’t take reasonable steps to safeguard the data they are enstrusted with. My guess is that things would change pretty quickly.
My suspicion is that these thefts are either not really thefts, or that these people are specifically targeted by those who perpetrate identity fraud.
When I say “not really thefts”, think corporate espionage and the sale of company secrets. Take your work home, have somebody slip you a couple thousand bucks, give them the laptop, report it stolen.
Don’t be so naive as to think this type of thing does not happen.
Doug I suspect somehow the companies being sued would be asked for their buy-in on that.