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Posts Tagged ‘Hardware’

Former Middletown School contractor accused of Laptop theft

December 5th, 2011

Not one or two but 400 laptops missing! A recent case of laptop theft saw 400 laptops being stolen from Middletown schools by a former contractor. A Butler County grand jury is currently reviewing the charges. If convicted, he faces 5 years prison time.

According to the Middletown police Larry A. Osborne Jr., 29,has been charged with third-degree felony theft on Nov. 9 in Middletown Municipal Court. He is accused of stealing computers since 2008. Osborne, a computer technician, was a former contractor of the Butler County Educational Service Center. The approximate value of the 400 laptops is $123,000. Osborne used to sell these computers on ebay. He sold around 350 computers to a man in PA who had no clue that these computers were stolen property. The PA man has not been charged. The machines were either used ones or non-working.

Former school contractor stole 400 laptops

The first theft was reported on Nov. 8 where eight Apple laptop computers were stolen from the district’s warehouse, 110 Baltimore St.

So far the department has recovered 46 of the 400 laptops. According to Lt. Scott Reeve. “The investigation is pretty much done. We’ve recovered all we’re going to recover,”. He further added that the thefts were discovered when the owner of 1 Stop Shipping Shop on Vail Avenue became suspicious about the no of computers Osborne was shipping. 18 laptops were recovered from 1 Stop Shipping Shop and 28 from Hallstead, PA. Lt. Reeve added “He wasn’t just taking them from one location,”. “He was taking them from multiple locations. I think that is part of the reason he got away with it for so long. He is an information technology guy and it’s not unusual to see him walking around with a computers in his hands, and they weren’t all being stolen from one location. He was spreading out the thefts at various schools throughout the district.”

Apparently Osborne was a full time IT worker with the district and lost his job a month ago when the theft came to light.

The modus operandi was that Osborne stole laptops that were left unattended while making service calls. Inspite of the fact that the district conducts general audits of its systems on an annual basis, the laptops were stole. The reason being Osborne was the employee in charge of this district.The district is revamping its security policy to make sure such thefts do not take place in the future.

Alertsec and data encryption go hand in hand

Information has become highly mobile. There are netbooks, laptops, iphones and blackberries. You leave any of these unattended and the next thing you know is that they are stolen!

To lose any of the above device means losing valuable information! Especially when this information includes not only your personal data but that of hundreds and thousands of people.

Encryption is the best security solution to data breaches and laptop thefts. Alertsec helps you keep your info secure.

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Posted in Computer security, Identity and Information loss, Lawsuits and settlements, computer security software, identity theft, laptop encryption, laptop theft

Tags: Apple Baltimore Counties Hardware Information Commissioners Office insurance laptop laptop theft LoJack Notebooks and Laptops security Theft United States

The case of 50 stolen laptops from Massabesic High School in Waterboro

November 24th, 2011

Looks like stealing laptops from school is very easy. Every other day we are hearing news about missing laptops and that too from schools. Time to tighten school security policies!

The case of the missing laptops and their recovery

The York County Sheriff’s Department has succeeded in recovering 50 Apple laptop computers that were stolen from Massabesic High School this week. Where exactly were they found is not revealed as yet, only that it was a good distance away from the school.

According to Sheriff Maurice Ouellette the laptops are in good condition and had been placed inside two, large plastic tubs with covers on them at the time of recovery.

“This was stuff that kids used to study with … That’s something I take personally,” Ouellette said.

How did the thieves manage to steal these computers?

It appears that the thief or thieves pried open a window to gain entrance to the school. The thieves entered the East Building of the school and did away with the computers and a projector.

“I’ve been working for this school district for a number of years and this is certainly the largest theft of any equipment that i’ve ever experienced or that i know of”, said RSU 57 Technology Director Bob Stackpole

School staff and students were interviewed in detail by the police in hope of getting clues about the theft.

A TV viewer caught this piece of news item on TV and got in touch with the authorities. The total value of the computers was around $60,000.

To catch the thief

Authorities have requested anyone with info about the thieves to get in touch with them. “We’re certainly interested in that, how that took place and at the end of the day we take a look at what transpired, how it transpired, who would have access and who would know, things to that nature”,said Sheriff Maurice Ouellette. The laptops were white in color and had identifying stickers. Currently the laptops are with the police. As soon as the investigation is over, they will be returned to the school.

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Stolen Laptops from Massabesic School recovered

Aertsec Xpress is the service that automatically protects ALL information you store on your PC. The fact that we now buy more laptops than desktops shows that the information we all store is increasingly more vulnerable to be exposed. It is a much higher risk to lose a laptop than a desktop computer.

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Posted in Identity and Information loss, identity theft, laptop encryption, laptop theft

Tags: Apple Hardware IPhone laptop LoJack Massabesic High School Notebooks and Laptops security Sheriff Theft

Unencrypted laptop stolen from Ruth Crawford QC during Holiday

November 21st, 2011

We have mentioned before about laptop theft cases going unreported. In the following case laptop was stolen in 2009 but the incident came to light only now, after 2 years! To top it all, this laptop belonged to a Scottish lawyer who we expect should have been diligent enough to guard client’s data.

Ruth Crawford QC was on a holiday when her laptop went missing. The laptop contained personal information related to clients who were a part of Ms Crawford’s eight court cases. This data was specifically about the mental and physical health of the clients.

Ms Crawford was lucky that the incident took place in 2009. Had it taken place seven months later, she would have been fined for breaching the data protection Act as that was when the ICO was given new powers to impose fines of up to £500,000.

As of today Ms Crawford has signed an undertaking that says she is going to encrypt all her portable devices and secure them properly. These are the exact words of the undertaking ”The theft occurred while the data controller (Ms Crawford) was on holiday, having left plumbers to fit a new boiler at her home. The data controller provided the plumbers with keys and the code to her alarm. She highlighted the importance of keeping her front door locked and of activating the alarm when leaving the house.

“Upon returning from holiday on September 3 2009, the data controller discovered that the laptop and a purse were missing from her study. She subsequently reported the matter to the police. The commissioner has noted that physical security measures were in place at the time of the incident but that there was insufficient technical security employed on the laptop to protect the data.”

According to Ken Macdonald, Assistant Commissioner for Scotland: “The legal profession holds some of the most sensitive information available. It is therefore vital that adequate security measures are in place to keep information secure.”

“As this incident took place before the 6 April 2010, the ICO is unable to serve a financial penalty in this instance. But this case should act as a warning to other legal professionals that their failure to protect personal information is not just about potentially being served with a penalty of up to £500,000, it could affect their careers too. If confidential information is made public, it could also jeopardise the important work they do in court.

“The ICO would also like to assure the legal profession that any information reported to this office will not be disclosed unless there is specific legal authority for us to do so. Therefore all breaches should be reported to our office as soon as practically possible.”

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Posted in Identity and Information loss, identity theft, laptop encryption, laptop theft

Tags: Crawford Cryptography Data Protection Act 1998 Encryption Hardware ICO Ken Macdonald laptop Mental health Notebooks and Laptops Personally identifiable information Ruth Crawford QC Scotland Theft

Newcastle team found guilty of data breach

October 28th, 2011

Newcastle team pays for data breach

We have been regularly writing about data breach and laptop thefts cases. But following is a unique case where first data was breached and later the laptop stolen!

Newcastle Youth Offending Team failed to encrypt personal data of 100 young people on a laptop. The data contained names, addresses, dates of birth and the names of the schools the young people attended. This laptop was later stolen from the home of a contractor who had been working on a youth inclusion program.

The team had to face the brunt from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) n for breaching the Data Protection Act. The ICO made the team sign an undertaking to prevent further data breaches.

According to the ICO investigation team Newcastle Youth Offending Team had a contract with the relevant company for data security. Unfortunately the company did not keep a eye on its employees to make sure that security measures were complied with or not.

The team has promised the ICO that it will beef up its security measures and put a strict policy in place. The policy includes encryption of portable and mobile devices, including laptops.

According to Sally-Anne Poole, acting head of enforcement: “Encryption is a basic procedure and an inexpensive way to ensure that information is kept secure. But, to their detriment, not enough data handlers are making use of it.

“This case also highlights how important it is to ensure that watertight procedures are in place before any work is undertaken by contractors. Organisations shouldn’t simply assume that third parties will handle personal data in line with their usual standards.

I’m pleased that Newcastle Youth Offending Team has learned lessons from this incident and hope that it encourages others to heed our advice.”

Chris McIntosh, CEO ViaSat UK, offered his two cents: “In light of MPs’ desire to see jail time for those dealing in stolen data, both the public and private sector must ensure that the data in their care is fully protected and that users are completely aware of the procedures and risks involved.”

“As vital tasks become shared across more and more organisations, it is imperative that bodies such as city councils and youth offending teams control not only their own data protection policies but also those of any contractors. Indeed, data security should form a key part of any contract that is signed and should be monitored rigorously with failure to comply being met with hefty penalties. Otherwise, contractors that show a flagrant disregard for security will be a continuing weak link for a public sector desperately improving its data protection.

Alertsec and data encryption go hand in hand

Information has become highly mobile. There are netbooks, laptops, iphones and blackberries. You leave any of these unattended and the next thing you know is that they are stolen!

To lose any of the above device means losing valuable information! Especially when this information includes not only your personal data but that of hundreds and thousands of people.

Encryption is the best security solution to data breaches and laptop thefts. Alertsec helps you keep your info secure

.

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Posted in Computer security, Uncategorized, computer security software, data breach, data encryption, identity theft, laptop encryption, laptop theft

Tags: Big Brother Watch Christopher Graham data breach Hardware Information Commissioners Office laptop Newcastle Youth Offending Team Notebooks and Laptops

Burglars steal 20 laptops from Strawberry Point School

October 24th, 2011

Laptops have become an integral part of the business world. It gives you the freedom to move around with your work. It is cool, sleek and gives you connectivity outsid

Cart left stranded in Muir woods. Laptops stolen!

e of your office premises. But hang on! As much as you value your laptop, so do thieves!Laptop is a great prize to have, for the thieves!And it is not easy to steal one at all. You sit at a Cafe working on your laptop. You get a call from a business colleague. You get up and start talking, start moving as the range is not catching. You come back to your seat and guess what, your laptop’s been taken!

The following news item talks about laptop burglary that occured in Strawberry Point School in Marin County. Burglars did away with twenty laptop computers from the Strawberry Point Elementary School’s library last week. The burglary was reported by the school’s principal Monday around 8:25 a.m. At the time of the theft, the computers were in the library at the K-5 school at 117 East Strawberry Drive in Strawberry.

The burglars opened a locked door , took a white steel cart that contained the Apple MacBook laptops. Each laptop was worth $1,300 each. The perpetrators left the cart stranded near Panoramic Highway and Sequoia Valley Road, east of Muir Woods. Obviously the computers were missing!

In a similar incident on July 20, forty-seven computers — 30 MacBooks and 17 iBooks worth an estimated $52,500 — were stolen from Mill Valley School District campus.

Here the suspects cut a padlock to an access gate on Old Mill St. to get on the campus and then pried open a window in the school’s multi-purpose room on the back side of the school, according to the Mill Valley Police Department. Police continue to investigate the case but haven’t made any headaway.

“We’re working with the police department to increase our security and making sure everything is functioning as it should,” said Tim Ryan, the director of maintenance and operations for the Mill Valley School District. “Schools statewide are inherently open places, and we have to find a balance between remaining open and maintaining a high level of security.”

Alertsec comes to the rescue

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More about laptop security from Alertsec

Laptops generally get stolen from the work place, conference centers, hotel rooms, cars, airports and train stations. It is difficult to prevent theft as opportunists are everywhere in our society.

Best bet would be to make sure having a fresh back-up on a server or back-up device.

Lastly, by using encryption software, you greatly enhance the laptop security as there is no way that the information is compromised if lost or stolen.