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by Dave Gradijan

Stolen Laptop Endangers Boeing Employee Data

News
Dec 13, 20062 mins
CSO and CISOData and Information Security

Roughly 382,000 Boeing employees and retirees are now at risk of identity theft and credit card fraud after a company laptop computer was stolen, ChicagoSunTimes.com reports.

The article states the files on the computer contained names, Social Security numbers and, in many cases, home addresses, phone numbers and birth dates, as well as salary information on some.

The theft, which Boeing confirmed on Tuesday, is the third one the company has experienced in the past 13 months, despite safeguards the company had put in place, ChicagoSunTimes.com reports. However, none of the data involved in the three thefts was encrypted.

Boeing has yet to notify those affected by the theft, but company spokesman Tim Neale told the Sun-Times they will be notified shortly by mail or online. The delay is due to the company trying to put the infrastructure in place to handle anticipated questions.

Neale told the Sun-Times the theft happened after a worker left the laptop unattended and returned to find it missing. Neale did not say where the theft occurred, but indicated that no proprietary, customer or supplier data was on the computer.

The latest incident represented a violation of company policy, Neale told the Sun-Times.

Regarding the earlier thefts, Neale told the Sun-Times that Boeing has had no indication that any information is being misused, but the company recognizes that the data has been lost, and it will do what it takes to ensure that people are protected.

Compiled by Paul Kerstein, CSOonline.com

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