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MCI Employee Data Stolen

By Ed Oswald, BetaNews

May 23, 2005, 1:09 PM

MCI revealed on Monday that a burglary at a financial analyst's home resulted in the loss of a laptop with approximately 16,500 names and social security numbers of current and former employees. According to MCI, the laptop was password protected, but the company did not say if the data was encrypted.

MCI says it has not received any reports of cases of identity theft related to the data theft that occurred last month. All employees whose data was lost in the theft have already been notified. However, the company would not rule out disciplinary action against the employee if company policies were violated.

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By SnarkFish

edited May 23, 2005 - 11:08 PM

yeah, they sent us a snailmail back on May 3rd. plus nobody knows if it was the data or the laptop that was the intented theft

Score: 0

By Ainvar

posted May 23, 2005 - 10:34 PM

Wait wait wait lets not stop at laptop lets not allow any type of senitive data on any type of electronix device!!!!

This idiot who had the laptop prolly left it out in the open and the IT dept or company iself had no security in place.

I can just as easily take data off a server or workstation than try and walk out with a laptop in some instances.

I just really think that not only the companies but the programers should actually look into better security for the data they store on any system or media. Encryption would be a good thing as long as it is decent encryption and some safe guards be put in place (I am not talking about backdoors though)

But this post will prolly get flamed to hell and back and tonight I dont care.......

Score: 0

By TheRecklessWanderer

posted May 23, 2005 - 7:20 PM

Why would you allow a laptop with secure information on it out of the building.

I smell a lawsuit.

Score: 0

By MOTVG

posted May 23, 2005 - 8:44 PM

The stupidity of some people just perplexes me. I've said this before and I'll say it again: Only a complete moron would put important information on a laptop.

IMO, I believe that there should be a law that makes it illegal for organizations (schools, companies, gov't agencies, ect.) to put sensitive information on laptops. Putting sensitive information on a laptop is like leaving the keys to Fort Knox under the welcome mat.

Score: 0

By morriscox

edited May 24, 2005 - 11:13 AM

Sometimes, you have to put sensitive information on a laptop or some sort of portable device. An employee might need to use that information out in the field (like at least two of my coworkers). I'm the network administrator and there is some information I carry around on a Cruzer Micro *because* I want it where I can keep an eye on it (and not on a networked computer that might get cracked when I don't notice). The data is encrypted with Blowfish using Cryptainer Mobile. http://www.net-security.org/article.php?id=764

Score: 0

By AlanRivaldo

posted May 23, 2005 - 9:43 PM

Please tell us how this law would define the term "laptop".

Yes, that is why laws like you suggested don't exist. Lawmakers would spend more time trying to define the term laptop, and if someone was charged with such a "crime", their defense lawyers would find a way of skirting the definition(s) put forth in such a law.

Score: 0

By athome

posted May 24, 2005 - 10:33 AM

"Any portable device."

Plain and simple. If it is mobile, then it should not contain that type of information. This moron was a financial analyst. What was he doing with personal information on his laptop. If it looks fishy, smells fishy, . . . it probably is fishy.

Score: 0

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