BP loses personal details on spill victims
Leaky leaks from lost laptop
Posted in Management, 30th March 2011 09:55 GMT
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Infamously leaky oil company BP has lost a laptop containing personal information, social security numbers and other details on 13,000 people claiming compensation for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
The laptop was password-protected but not encrypted. It was lost 1 March by a travelling BP exec.
BP said the lappy contained a spreadsheet with names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and social security numbers for 13,000 people who made claims relating to the Deepwater disaster. They all made claims against BP before the Gulf Coast Claims Facility was set up.
The company said it immediately reported the loss to police and internal security.
BP said: "There is no evidence that the laptop or data was targeted or that anyone’s personal data has in fact been compromised or accessed in any way. Our Security team continues to monitor the situation very closely and we are still in touch with authorities in an attempt to recover the laptop."
It said it took protection of personal information very seriously and regretted the loss of the laptop.
The oil giant has written to all 13,000 people to warn them and offered free ID and credit monitoring. Despite this claim, reporters for AP found at least two claimants who had still to hear from BP. ®
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COMMENTS
Unbelievable
Was password protected but not encrypted?!
A company the size of BP and they still know nothing about basic IT security?
Love to see how they plug this one....
Title
"It said it took protection of personal information very seriously" but its actions very clearly contradict its words. Congrats BP, you've just added insult to injury.
Sidenote, do we never hear about loss of unencrypted internal employee listings with personal data because they are better protected, or because companies aren't obliged to report it at the same level?
"Despite this claim, reporters for AP found at least two claimants who had still to hear from BP."
Perhaps BP didn't know to contact them because they had lost their details?
Tracking Software?!?
What amazes me is that there is plenty of paid for and free solutions that will allow you to install software on your computer and monitor its location form any computer that can connect to the internet.
As soon as the person who stole the laptop connects it online, the laptop will call home, if the laptop has a camera, pictures will also be taken. You can then retrieve this info for the police by logging into an online account which will store the data (location and images)
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