Looking for vulnerable data and protecting it
Our Mobilebozo spotter has been quiet recently, but today (Wednesday December 9) he was back on the UK train network and spotted this bozo who left their laptop on a seat whilst out of the carriage.
Captured on December 9
Is this one of your employees leaving data and documents unattended whilst on the train? What happens if our bozo spotter was a data thief? Plenty to take here.
Posted in BackStopp.
– December 9, 2009
St Albans City and District Council have lost a laptop containing 14,000 details of voters in the area. The information which included names, addresses, dates of birth, signatures, postal vote forms and statements, all used to identify the individuals who registered for postal voting.
This information is more than enough to open bank accounts in other peoples names, leaving some 14,673 voters at risk of Identity Theft.
The council have said that the data is protected by two levels of security whilst admitting that there is a slight risk to individuals.
Posted in BackStopp.
– November 17, 2009
Doctors who are contracted to the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Associations are at risk of Identity Theft after a laptop was stolen from an employee in Chicago.
The laptop contained a single file which contained name, address, tax identification number and national provider identifier number of some 850,000 Doctors. It is believed that as many as 22% of the Doctors listed used their Social Security numbers as the Tax Identification number or National Provider Identifier, leaving an estimated 187,000 doctors at risk from ID Theft.
It is reported that the employee who lost the laptop had downloaded the unencrypted file to work on it at home. A practice which is against the companies policies.
Jeff Smokler, spokesman for Blue Cross and Blue Shield Associations told the American Medical News:
“We are re-evaluating that protocol and how we prevent this from happening again.
“It was a mistake, an unfortunate mistake, but the association and plans involved have moved swiftly and deliberately to rectify the situation,”
The Association is offering all whose data was on the stolen laptop the option of 12 months credit monitoring to any physicians whose Social Security numbers were included in the file, and for any other physicians who request the service through their local Blues plan.
Posted in BackStopp.
– October 7, 2009
Several laptops that was stolen from a locked office at Wigan Council has put up to 33,000 children at risk. The laptops which were in a locked office were stolen on Tuesday 27 January from Progress House, Wigans main council offices.
The data, which had been downloaded to the laptop in breach of council guidelines was not protected. It is believed the laptop contained data of every school child in year 3 and above. The laptop wasn’t encrypted, but as seems to be the norm in these situations was ‘Password Protected’.
Wigan Council have now signed an undertaking with the Information Commissioners Office stating they will take extra measures to protect personal data.
Ms Redfearn told Wigan Today:
“We take our responsibilities in holding data very seriously and conducted our own investigation. We can reassure the public that we have readily complied with the requests of the Information Commissioner’s Office and have taken action to make sure this type of data loss does not happen again.
“Staff have been made aware of the new protocols surrounding information on laptops and people will receive extra training where required.”
Posted in BackStopp.
– September 11, 2009
NHS Education for Scotland (NES) have been told to improve data security by the UK’s Information Commissioner Office after they revealed that a laptop was stolen containing the personal information of some 6,377 applicants for medical training positions.
It is unknown how the laptop went missing but it is known that the device was unencrypted and contained names, addresses, phone numbers and summaries of the applicants, as well as monitoring information relating to equality and diversity.
Ken Macdonald, Assistant Information Commissioner – Scotland, said:
“Password protected laptops are not secure. I urge all organisations to restrict and encrypt the amount of personal information stored on portable devices that can be taken off site. In this case, the stolen laptop contained sensitive personal information including equality and diversity information. If personal details fall into the wrong hands, individuals can experience considerable distress.”
Posted in BackStopp.
– September 11, 2009
Yesterday evening I partook in an ale at a bar in Birmingham. The train journey into Birmingham didn’t yield any bozo’s, but a new form appeared.
Abandoned Bags
The above photo was taken underneath a coat stand in this bar, no owner was anywhere to be seen, maybe around the corner? The question is what is in the bag?
What do you carry in your bag? Laptop? Company documents? Is it safe to leave it in a bar with a fair few people you don’t know closer to it than yourself?
Posted in BackStopp, LeakStopp.
– September 3, 2009
Birmingham NHS patients in the UK are at risk after a contractor, Trulife, have revealed the loss of three computers which could contain medical records of up to 7,000 patients at 4 Birmingham Hospitals, including children’s medical data.
Surgical firm Trulife, who provide medical services to four hospitals in Birmingham reported the loss of the three computers, putting patients at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, City Hospital, in Winson Green, Sandwell Hospital, in West Bromwich, and Rowley Regis Hospital. One of the devices was stolen after being left in a car, whilst another was stolen during a street mugging.
The laptops were stolen during a 2 year period, with the last being stolen from the back of the car in March 2008. The company estimates that some 3,633 patients at City, Sandwell and Rowley Regis Hospitals are at risk as well as between 3,000 and 3,500 children patients at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
A Trulife spokesperson told local newspaper, The Birmingham Mail that the devices weren’t encrypted but were “password protected” and only contained basic information of name, address (surely that is enough), date of birth and hospital number.
All patients who could be affected by these losses have been notified by Trulife whilst the hospitals are launching investigations.
Posted in BackStopp.
– September 1, 2009
Sheriff’s in Webber County, Utah, have warned that 600 individuals are at risk after a laptop believed to contain details on some 600 individuals went missing. The laptop itself is believed to have been forgotten by an employee who was re-arranging the trunk (boot) of his car, then drove off, forgetting the laptop. When he returned it was missing.
Loan Officer, Phil Burnett, who works for Sun Valley Mortgage said the data was password protected, but he had information including social security numbers, addresses and bank details for 600 customers. He has contacted those believed to be at most risk, explaining how to monitor their credit and identify if anyone is trying to steal their identity.
Below is a news report from local TV station Fox13.
Posted in BackStopp.
– August 25, 2009
California State University in Los Angeles yesterday reported the theft of 12 laptops and 2 desktop computers from the campus in Los Angeles.
This has sparked Identity Theft concerns for some 600 students and staff authorities have said after the computers were stolen by thieves who smashed a window at the University’s Minority in Opportunities in Research Programme on August 1.
The 600 people who could potentially be effected by these losses were notified last Monday about the potential risk to their identities and informed on how to monitor their accounts for suspicious activity.
There is no news on whether these devices were password protected or encrypted.
Posted in BackStopp.
– August 21, 2009
This morning our mobilebozo spotter is on the UK’s train networks again and has come across another MobileBozo sitting opposite him.
At least this one got closed before they left their seat and laptop. What’s to stop someone walking off with it though?
Posted in BackStopp, LeakStopp.
– August 20, 2009
