Delta Blood Bank sent a letter Friday to donors, warning them a computer that held their personal information had been stolen and advising them to take steps against identity theft and credit card fraud.
"On Dec. 10, 2004, a thief or thieves stole one of two computers available for donor registration at a mobile blood drive being conducted that day," Delta CEO Benjamin Spindler wrote in the letter. "This computer contained confidential information about you, including your name, address, date of birth and your Social Security number. We deeply regret that this has happened."
Identity theft has emerged one of the thorniest problems of the Internet age, and the threat has turned some missing laptops into potentially catastrophic security breaches. Wells Fargo in October had to warn customers when for the third time in a year computers with sensitive information went missing.
Since July of last year, California has required organizations to notify residents of the state "in the most expedient time possible and without unreasonable delay" if security breaches have exposed residents' personal information. The law applies to breaches of someone's name, plus a Social Security number, driver's license or California ID card number, a financial account number, or a credit or debit card number with a PIN or access code.
Delta's lost laptop, a new Compaq, was stolen outside the St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Tracy, Calif., following a mobile blood bank collection there.
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"Does liability apply here? Possibly. Depends on the whether the company was negligent in protecting the information."
Yes liability applies here and the company is l... (Read the rest) - Posted by: Squawkbox Posted on: 12/22/04 You are currently: Logged In | Log out
 More Steps To Protect Identity Need To Be Taken NOW andyhayes1 | 12/21/04 |
  Protect Identity Need To Be Taken NOW trg13 | 12/22/04 |
| Ok someone help me here Squawkbox | 12/21/04 |
| We have already seen that if a man made it bjbrock | 12/21/04 |
 Good Post Jeff Spicoli | 12/21/04 |
| See ya proved my point from other stories like this Squawkbox | 12/21/04 |
| Guilty is guilty Real World | 12/22/04 |
| Of course the thieves should be held responsible Squawkbox | 12/22/04 |
| This is another example of IT users not bjbrock | 12/21/04 |
| I'm not sure I agree rapson | 12/22/04 |
| Identity Theft trg13 | 12/22/04 |
| This is basic carelessness Protector | 12/22/04 |
| Tough Call AmusedAtItAll | 12/22/04 |
| Reasonable expectation Squawkbox | 12/22/04 |
| The central blood bank requires SSN mathandmetal | 12/22/04 |
| OPPS, my mistake. mathandmetal | 12/22/04 |
