Last week turned up only two cases of confidential information loss from mobile computers, namely, the theft of a laptop from a professor at Rutgers University, and a laptop which went missing from a building company in Berkley. Both cases involved sensitive personal information. At the same time, it is pleasant to report that both cases occurred last year. Could it be that users of confidential information have started to protect their data better this year? InfoWatch experts suspect that this is merely a temporary lull. We need to wait until spring at least before coming to any firm conclusions about widespread changes to the use of mobile storage devices with regard to confidential data.
On September 5th, thieves stole a laptop computer from the office of Gabriela Kutting, associate professor at Rutgers University, Newark. Besides the professor’s personal files, the computer contained private records on around 200 students, including their Social Security numbers. She said that her job meant that she needed the information. Kutting does not admit to any wrongdoing and is simply glad that she has a backup copy of her research on her home PC.
Moving on, the theft of a computer from a building company, KB Home, occurred relatively recently. At the end of December, one of the company’s employees noticed that a laptop was missing. Inspection of the premises revealed that a break-in had taken place. Company representatives announced that the thieves had not set out to steal the data on the computer hard drive and that the database was protected by a password. A password, however, is no real protection against a concentrated attempt to get into a database by an expert. At the same time, KB has already notified around 3,000 of its clients whose personal information was on the computer. All those affected are advised to be on guard and to check their bank accounts carefully.
InfoWatch analysts beat the drum right over 2006 regarding the huge number of information thefts via unprotected laptops. The loss or theft of a laptop is bad enough – but it’s one of the characteristics of mobile devices… However, one never ceases to be amazed that people leave vital information on computers and mobile devices unencrypted. In the majority of cases, the most that is in place is a simple password. But it is no secret that an expert can get round a password in a matter of minutes. Even for a non-expert – just an advanced user – a password is no serious obstacle. The need to encrypt data or, better, entire sectors of the hard drive, is self-evident.
Thus far into the new year, the number of reports of information theft from mobile computers has significantly dropped. So what’s going on? Have people at last begun to take care of their data?
Denis Zenkin, InfoWatch’s Marketing Director said, “It’s too early to talk about any tendency towards a reduction in the number of information leaks via mobile devices. The situation simply can not have changed overnight. Towards the end of 2006, we were getting reports of the theft of huge numbers of personal details, almost on a daily basis. We should keep an eye on the situation at least until spring before coming to any firm conclusions.”
Sources: Charleston SC, Rutgers Observer
