I'd have to ask if they even had a strategy.

http://www.pogowasright.org/article.php?story=20080207094844308

(update) Missing laptop has workers', patients' personal data

Thursday, February 07 2008 @ 09:48 AM EST Contributed by: PrivacyNews News Section: Breaches

The identity theft risk from a stolen Wake County EMS laptop is far worse than originally estimated [Very common. Bob] and could include personal information about patients, firefighters and paramedics from across the county.

New numbers released today by Wake County place the number at 5,000 people whose personal information -- including Social Security numbers, addresses and ages -- was stored on a laptop that was missing for more than a week in January before county officials reported it stolen to WakeMed hospital police.

This figure includes more than 1,100 patients transported by county EMS ambulances and their contracted first responders -- up from the original estimate of more than 800 patients.

Worse still, the laptop also included personal information of more than 3,400 EMS and firefighters from across the county [Why? Bob] -- including Wake County paramedics, contracted ambulance and paramedic outfits and firefighters.

Source - The News & Observer

[From the article:

The county has hired a third party consultant to help county employees track down the information. [Indication that they don't know what is on the laptop? Bob]

... Wake EMS uses laptops to streamline diagnostic and billing procedures for patients transported in the county's ambulances. [So why do they have information on non-patients? Bob]

I wouldn't normally get upset with convicts as victims (they have no rights, right?) but look where they computer was stolen form...

http://www.pogowasright.org/article.php?story=20080207114502984

UK: Convict info on stolen laptop

Thursday, February 07 2008 @ 11:45 AM EST Contributed by: PrivacyNews News Section: Breaches

A LAPTOP holding information about convicted criminals has been stolen from a Magistrates’ Court, police confirmed today.

The theft from the Victoria Law Courts in Birmingham was reported on January 14, a spokeswoman for West Midlands Police said.

The laptop was stolen from an office at the court over the Christmas period, according to Her Majesty’s Courts Service (HMCS).

Source - The Sun

You're probably going to write one of these...

http://www.pogowasright.org/article.php?story=20080207104010454

CSO In-Depth: The Dos and Don'ts of Disclosure Letters

Thursday, February 07 2008 @ 10:40 AM EST Contributed by: PrivacyNews News Section: Breaches

One security breach, two letters, 11 lessons in the art of telling customers you screwed up. Two PR pros deconstruct the messages that Monster.com and USAJOBS were really giving to customers whose personal information had been disclosed.

Source - CSO

Interesting but not unexpected.

http://www.pogowasright.org/article.php?story=20080207133912509

Technology, media firms overconfident, unprepared for breaches: Deloitte survey

Thursday, February 07 2008 @ 01:39 PM EST Contributed by: PrivacyNews News Section: Breaches

Media, technology and telecommunications industries are overconfident in their security postures and ill-prepared to handle breaches, according to a survey conducted by consulting firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.

The 2007 Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) Survey indicates that 46 percent of the more than 100 respondents have no formal information security strategy. However, 69 percent of the respondents surveyed said they're "very confident" or "extremely confident" in their abilities to deal with security challenges.

Source - SC Magazine

[Get your copy here: http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/research/0,1015,cid%253D186403,00.html

Another victory for the masked avenger!

http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN0661392320080206

California court bars unmasking of Web critic

Wed Feb 6, 2008 5:39pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A California appeals court on Wednesday said an anonymous Internet poster does not have to reveal his identity after being sued for making "scathing verbal attacks" against executives at a Florida company on a Yahoo! Inc message board.

... The appellate court concluded that while Doe 6's messages were "unquestionably offensive and demeaning," they could not be counted as defamation since they could not be considered assertions of fact.