US banks seek Basel II leniency
Four of the biggest banks in the US want to make major changes to new reserve capital rules that are due to come into force in the very near future. They have now asked Federal Reserve officials to let them adopt a simplified version of the Basel II Accord. However, InfoWatch experts say that no one is going to make any exceptions for the US financial giants.
Thieves target hospital laptop with private patient data
Thieves have stolen a laptop containing patient details after breaking into a hospital office. Fortunately, there was no medical or financial information on the computer, but it did contain patient Social Security numbers. Experts at InfoWatch say that criminals are now ready to resort to burglary and physical attacks just to get their hands on such valuable information.
300 Mississippi college workers' data compromised in robbery
A laptop containing the private data of 300 people has been stolen during an armed robbery in a college parking lot. According to experts at InfoWatch, cryptography is the only method of dealing with the threats that information faces, including physical threats. If data is unencrypted, it cannot be secured.
Russian information code in the making
The existing legislation doesn’t work. The Russian government only talks about protecting information, but is incapable of fulfilling its obligations. That was the official view of the powers-that-be upon the adoption of several new laws in recent weeks. According to experts at InfoWatch, those criticisms are far from groundless.
Personal data of 160K Kaiser Permanente patients leaked
The stolen laptop only contained the names and addresses of 160,000 Kaiser patients, not their Social Security numbers. The affected patients therefore face little risk of identity theft. So why is Kaiser making such a fuss? Because in the health care industry the slightest leak of private patient data can spell disaster for a company, analysts at InfoWatch warn.
Personal data safeguards extended to Russian labor code
October 2006 will see a number of amendments to the Russian Labor Code come into force. Some of them are aimed at protecting the personal data of employees. According to experts at InfoWatch, it is the first sign of positive change following the recent adoption of the law “On personal data”.
Data breach affects 31K US Navy recruits
Two laptops with the private data of 31,000 US Navy recruits have been stolen from military offices. A spokesman said the computers were password-protected and the risk of ID theft was “extremely low.” However, experts at InfoWatch point out that computer-savvy criminals can easily make money from unencrypted data. Two laptop computers recently stolen from a US Navy office contain personal information on about 31,000 recruits from the New York and New Jersey areas.
Deloitte & Touche loses data on 12K Armstrong workers
A laptop stolen from a Deloitte & Touche employee contained the private details of 12,000 current and former Armstrong World Industries workers. Analysts at InfoWatch say the incident will be a blow to the image of the auditing firm and could affect its client base. The laptop, which contained private records on 12,000 current and former Armstrong World Industries employees, was stolen from the locked car of a Deloitte & Touche employee, Armstrong announced in a letter dated July 20.
Canadian doctors affected as 8K financial files stolen
About 8,000 clients of MD Management have been affected by the latest laptop theft to hit the headlines. The private details, including financial data, of hundreds of Canadian doctors and their families were compromised in the incident. The company has cited employee error, but experts at InfoWatch say a lax approach to IT security by senior management at the firm is to blame.
Private data of 540K New York workers compromised
Computer hardware has gone missing from the New York office of insurance firm CS Stars, compromising the personal records of over half a million employees. According to experts at InfoWatch the company could have prevented a leak by encrypting the data, reducing the damages of the theft to that of the hardware alone.
