The data on the laptop comprised of employee payroll, employee parking permit and student information dating back to 2000 and included names, Social Security numbers and, in some cases, Florida driver’s license numbers. Though, the officials have confirmed that no student academic or medical records were on the computer.

The school officials have started notifying the affected people of the data breach. So far they have sent letters to 841 people explaining that their information was compromised in the theft.

“We regret that this incident occurred and are working diligently to notify the people who may be impacted by this theft,” P.K. Yonge Director Fran Vandiver said.

The laptop was stolen on 23rd July from a rental car of an employee in San Francisco. The incident was immediately reported to the California Police and later to the University of Florida Police Department. Though the files on the laptop were password protected, but encryption software was not installed on the Laptop.

Want to prevent breach?

Have you been affected by data breach? Do you think that your organization is susceptible to a potential security breach? For further information visit our website where you will learn about our encryption software and other security protection methods.

A trusted way to protect information stored on a PC or laptop is by using encryption. Alertsec Xpress offers full disk encryption and is therefore superior to other encryption methods when comparing security, performance, robustness and ease-of-use for both administrators and users. To find out more, see Tech Specs.

The theft happened in mid-August and 635 patients are affected, according to David Plug, spokesperson for the health authority. “We sent out letters to them this week notifying them of what happened and we also notified the privacy commissioner,” said Plug. “There’s no indication any of the information on that computer has been disseminated.”

He also added, “The RCMP has been notified and they are investigating, we take patient records security very seriously so we’re taking this investigation very seriously.”

Plug said the laptop might not be password protected or using any encryption. “That’s something we’re looking into,” he said. “We’re also looking at our overall security, whether we need to have more office locks or more security upgrades.”

Though, Plug also added that the thief might have been caught on the hospitals surveillance cameras.

The affected patients are being notified of the security breach and the health authority is offering them support along with complimentary one-year subscription to a credit monitoring service.

Secure your organization with Alertsec

Alertsec Xpress is used in all organisations that have recognized the need to protect their information. Customers range from single-user sole traders and consultants to large multinational companies with offices around the globe. By using industry leading Check Point Full Disk Encryption (former Pointsec) software, Alertsec has created a web based encryption service that radically simplifies deployment and management of PC encryption

For security and technology observations, consider following us on Twitter.

It is suspected that an employee of one ticketing agency might have been offering the information for sale. This massive breach which has compromised the private data of thousands of football fans is now under criminal investigation.

The stolen database was compiled by FIFA football’s world governing body, in the run-up to the 2006 World Cup in Germany. It contains details of more than 35,000 England fans, as well as tens of thousands more supporters from other countries.

An inquiry has been launched by The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK data watchdog. It also aims to determine if the private information of fans that travelled to this summer’s World Cup in South Africa is at risk.

Mick Gorrill, head of enforcement at the ICO, said: “We have been made aware that the personal details of some 35,689 England fans have been unlawfully traded for profit. The information relates to fans who bought tickets for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.We have contacted FIFA regarding the allegations and will be liaising with the organisation further as we move forward with an investigation.”

He also added,” the unlawful trade in people’s personal information is a criminal offence under the Data Protection Act. We have launched a full investigation. As part of our investigation we will be working together with international data protection authorities. We expect to be able to provide more details as our investigation develops, including advice for those who believe that their details may have been involved in this incident.”

Meanwhile, ICO has already questioned UK-based firm Byrom which, through a foreign sub­sidiary, had the official contract to provide tickets for the South African World Cup and several other tournaments. The firm was not involved in the ticketing arrangements in Germany but was questioned after it was claimed that an unnamed employee was behind the illegal data breach.

A spokeswoman for the company said, “We are fully co-operating with the ICO investigation.” She added, “We have studied the contents of this database and we can categorically say that we have never had access to this information in any form. It is not our database. Ticketing arrangements at the German World Cup, unlike other tournaments, were not undertaken by our firm.”

Want to prevent breach?

Have you been affected by data breach? Do you think that your organization is susceptible to a potential security breach? For further information visit our website where you will learn about our encryption software and other security protection methods.

A trusted way to protect information stored on a PC or laptop is by using encryption. Alertsec Xpress offers full disk encryption and is therefore superior to other encryption methods when comparing security, performance, robustness and ease-of-use for both administrators and users. To find out more, see Tech Specs.

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Fisher-More was struck four times by thieves over the course of holidays. The first two thefts occurred at the end of July when computer equipment valued at almost £8,500 was taken. Then again, the thieves returned on August 25th and 26th, this time taking two computers and a compact computer monitor, together valued at nearly £2,000.

Laptops valued at £2,500 were stolen from Park High School in the early hours of August 26th. The worst affected is Primet High School where £40,000 worth of equipment have been stolen. Thieves raided the school’s IT suite at the weekend, taking computers, two-way radios and other resources.

Initial investigation form the police suggests that the thieves broke into Fisher-More and Park through the windows but entered Primet through the roof. PC Mark Blackey, of Colne Police, said: “We cannot say for certain, but we think it is the same thieves going around high schools in the area. In view of this, we are asking schools to be particularly vigilant.”

Fisher-More headteacher Mr Chris Bohills said: “Governors and staff were very disappointed after the summer break to find vandals had thrown stones through six large windows and thieves had also broken into school, stealing 12 computers which also created a great deal of mess. This had to be attended to as a matter of urgency for the students’ return and has cost the school considerably, a cost which would have been better used for the academic interests of our pupils. However this will not dampen our spirits after the best ever GCSE results at the school this summer and staff and students are looking forward to working in the new classrooms and administration block at the front of the building.”

Headteacher of Primet High School Janet Walsh said: “This is a particularly cruel crime targeting children and their learning opportunities. Education is already poorly funded, so to take such treasured equipment is appalling. Luckily we can still teach without the equipment, but teachers will need to re-plan their lessons and we will have to resort to old methods of teaching for a while.”

Dr Paul Parkin, headteacher at Park High School, said: “During the summer holidays the school has spent a considerable amount of money updating and extending facilities for pupils. It is disappointing that theft and vandalism of this nature has happened. The costs of replacing damaged or stolen items and increased levels of security limit the funding available for our pupils. However we will not let this affect the start to the new academic year. We remain committed to improving the quality of facilities in school.”

PC Blackey said: “We are appealing to any local residents who saw anyone in the area of the schools acting suspiciously at these times to contact us anonymously on 472441 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.”

Secure your organization with Alertsec

Alertsec Xpress is used in all organisations that have recognized the need to protect their information. Customers range from single-user sole traders and consultants to large multinational companies with offices around the globe. By using industry leading Check Point Full Disk Encryption (former Pointsec) software, Alertsec has created a web based encryption service that radically simplifies deployment and management of PC encryption

For security and technology observations, consider following us on Twitter.

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Aon Consulting Data Breach

In a major goof-up, Aon Consulting Inc. inadvertently revealed the Social Security numbers, dates of birth and genders of around 22,000 retirees from the state of Delaware, spokesman for the company said.

The data appeared on the consultant’s website between Aug 16 and Aug 20 in a vision benefits request for proposals that Aon had prepared for the state. The data did not contain any names and was removed as soon as it was discovered, according to the consultant’s Chicago-based parent, Aon Corp.

“The company is investigating the breach, but there have been no reports of any fraudulent activity,” an Aon spokesman said. He also added that potentially affected retirees were being notified of the breach and would receive free credit monitoring services for a year and access to a toll-free customer care center for additional assistance.

Delaware’s Office of Management & Budget and Delaware Department of Technology & Information, the Office of the Attorney General & the State Pension Office said in a combined statement that “we are overseeing the steps Aon is taking to support persons affected by this incident and prevent future incidents of this nature.”

Secure your organization with Alertsec

Alertsec Xpress is used in all organizations that have recognized the need to protect their information. Customers range from single-user sole traders and consultants to large multinational companies with offices around the globe. By using industry leading Check Point Full Disk Encryption (former Pointsec) software, Alertsec has created a web based encryption service that radically simplifies deployment and management of PC encryption

For security and technology observations, consider following us on Twitter.

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The convenience and portability offered by laptops over desktop computers have made them popular among the masses and the thieves. “A laptop takes six seconds to grab,” said Harvard Townsend, chief information security officer. “Desktop machines are growing less common, Townsend said, and thieves realize this. Everyone should invest in a locking security cable,” he said. “Even at home, leave it kind of secured with that cable; it will eliminate opportunistic theft.”

A locking security cable locks the laptop with a heavy, immovable object, thus making it difficult for a thief to walk away with it. “The locks are available at any electronics retailer, including the K-State Student Union Computer Store. Laptops, whether they are in a room in a residence hall, apartment or house, are the easiest items to steal and have high value,” he said.

He also advised to record identification information about the laptop such as the serial number, hardware specifications, make and model and MAC (Media Access Control) address. The MAC address is an identification code, specific to every computer, both Mac and PC that can help the police track down a possible stolen device.

He also advises to back up data frequently so that incase of the theft, at least the invaluable data is not lost. A more secure way of protecting data is hard disk encryption.

Choose Alertsec’s Security Products right now

Alertsec is the frontrunner in offering hard disk encryption as a fully managed service. We provide protection for all information stored on laptops and PCs in an easy, convenient, and cost-effective way. Check out our convenient and cost-effective computer security software for Windows 2000, XP, Vista and 7.

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A laptop containing the information of a newborn screening program has been stolen from the University. The University has started notifying 2,207 individuals whose personal data was contained in the laptop.

The laptop was password protected, but was not using any data encryption software. It was stored in a locked, private room. Data on the device included patient and mother names, medical record numbers, date of birth, diagnosis, and some Social Security numbers of mothers. The laptop was stolen between June 18 and June 21. The University has posted a public notice on its UKHealthCare web site on Aug. 19.

There is no indication from the university regarding the misuse or access of information contained in the laptop. The online public notice gives information on avoiding identity theft but does not indicate if affected individuals are being offered free credit and identity protection services. It is mentioned in the notice that the university is taking unspecified steps to improve security.

How to prevent data breach?

In cases of laptop theft, the insurance company may cover the hardware loss, but the data might be lost forever, or in worst cases might land in the wrong hands. Thus, data security software is required which will reduce the theft to merely that of hardware. That is certainly a small price to pay compared to what can happen if you lose confidential or sensitive data.

Alertsec Xpress offers a very good and easy-to-use laptop security service that includes more than the traditional software licensing model. Feel free to subscribe for your personal 30-day free trial.

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Yet another NHS Trust has been found in breach of the Data Protection Act (DPA) after it lost sensitive patient records stored on an unencrypted CD.

Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the data security watchdog explained that the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust lost a CD containing over 100 records from the Intensive Care Unit of New Cross Hospital’s Heart and Lung Unit.

The lost CD which was unencrypted with no password protection was later found at a bus stop near the hospital. “The fact that this information was several years old is of no consequence – patients’ personal data should always be handled in accordance with the Data Protection Act,” said Mick Gorrill, head of enforcement at the ICO. “I am pleased that the Trust has agreed to take remedial steps to ensure such an incident does not happen again,” he added.

The trust and ICO have been unable to determine how or why the CD was made. The Trust has agreed to sign a formal undertaking with the ICO to ensure similar incidents do not occur in the future. This will involve better staff training in data protection and ensuring patient charts released to consultants are signed for and chased up for return every week.

Though the matter has been put to rest now, security vendors have a different take on the incident altogether. Mark Fullbrook, UK and Ireland director at Cyber-Ark, argued that it is lucky to have escaped without a fine.

“What’s particularly disappointing in this case is that, with so many better-enabled devices and means of storing information, should this highly sensitive information have really been held and transported by CD?” he added. “The Trust couldn’t even explain how and why an unprotected CD with patient records was produced in the first place.”

Want to prevent breach?

Have you been affected by data breach? Do you think that your organization is susceptible to a potential security breach? For further information visit our website where you will learn about our encryption software and other security protection methods.

A trusted way to protect information stored on a PC or laptop is by using encryption. Alertsec Xpress offers full disk encryption and is therefore superior to other encryption methods when comparing security, performance, robustness and ease-of-use for both administrators and users. To find out more, see Tech Specs.

Laptop

In two separate incidents, laptops containing patient information were stolen from University of Kentucky hospital, UK and from Cook County Health and Hospital.

Record of 2027 patients was stolen from the UK hospital between June 18 and June 21. The security breach has prompted the hospital authorities to issue a notification to the affected people. The information included patient names, dates of birth, diagnoses, mothers’ names and, in some cases, Social Security numbers of mothers in the Newborn Screening Program.

The stolen laptop was stored in a locked private office and was not having any computer protection software installed. The theft has been reported to the police and the investigation is going on.

Meanwhile, in another incident at Cook County Health and Hospital, a laptop was stolen on June 1 but it was reported only recently because of an ongoing internal investigation. The computer contained personal information of 7,000 Cook County health system patients.

Though, the investigation has determined the computer to be password protected, still the information within it may have been deleted. However, due to the uncertainty, officials have been reportedly notifying patients that their information may have been compromised. Guererro, meanwhile, says that he hasn’t seen evidence that any of the information has been accessed or distributed.

How Alertsec Xpress Would Have Helped

If you use a laptop encryption software a theft would simply be reduced to an insurance matter and cost of the hardware plus time to rebuild the laptop. That is certainly a small price to pay compared to what can happen if you lose confidential or sensitive data. Alertsec Xpress offers a very good and easy-to-use laptop security service that includes more than the traditional software licensing model. Feel free to subscribe for your personal 30-day free trial.

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Laptop Theft Connecticut

A laptop containing the names and Social Security numbers of more than 10000 Uconn applicants was stolen from their West Hartford campus. The laptop was kept in the storage cabinet of their Information Technology Department.

UConn officials said they have started investigating the theft which was discovered on 3^rd August. The university is in the process of contacting; in writing, everyone whose name was on the computer, and offering those individuals credit monitoring coverage for a period of two years at the University’s expense. Data from 2004 up to 2010 was stored on the laptop.

Meanwhile, the UConn police is continuing their investigation. “We deeply regret this incident. The University takes security of personal data seriously and is continuing its investigation to determine whether any University policies were not followed.” says Jason Pufahl, interim chief information security officer at the University. “The University will take corrective steps and, if warranted, disciplinary action”, he added.

Also, the Connecticut Attorney General’s office is also investigating the incident. “My office is investigating to determine the cause of this security breach – putting more than 10,000 applicants at risk for identity theft,” Richard Blumenthal said. “While there has been no evidence of financial fraud at this time, misuse of private financial information remains a threat and must be prevented. I am pleased that UConn officials have pledged two years of identity theft protection for individuals. Our investigation will also seek to ensure that measures are immediately implemented to prevent future breaches.”

Our Take: Possibly, the use of Computer protection software or Laptop encryption software like Alertsec Express would have prevented all this chaos. The theft would have simply been reduced to an insurance matter and the cost of laptop.

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