The Washington Post reports that an employee for Electronic Data Systems (EDS) lost a laptop last month on which was contained the personal information – including names, Social Security numbers, birth dates and benefit amounts – for an unknown number of Ahold employees who worked for its Stop & Shop, Giant and Tops chains.
The laptop was lost on an airline on May 2. It was only last week that Ahold sent a letter to affected employees informing them about the situation and setting up a help line; Ahold advised employees to contact credit bureaus about the situation and said it would pay for a year of credit monitoring for each person.
"Right now, this is a data breach. It is not identity theft," said Barry F. Scher, vice president of communications. There is no evidence at this time that anyone has been using the data for nefarious purposes, though the presumption is that the laptop was stolen.
The Post writes that “the announcement comes on the heels of several other high-profile security breaches involving personal information, including an electronic data file stolen from a Department of Veterans Affairs employee that could affect 26.5 million veterans.”
EDS says that it was against company policy to take the information out of the office, and that the employee who did so has been disciplined.
The laptop was lost on an airline on May 2. It was only last week that Ahold sent a letter to affected employees informing them about the situation and setting up a help line; Ahold advised employees to contact credit bureaus about the situation and said it would pay for a year of credit monitoring for each person.
"Right now, this is a data breach. It is not identity theft," said Barry F. Scher, vice president of communications. There is no evidence at this time that anyone has been using the data for nefarious purposes, though the presumption is that the laptop was stolen.
The Post writes that “the announcement comes on the heels of several other high-profile security breaches involving personal information, including an electronic data file stolen from a Department of Veterans Affairs employee that could affect 26.5 million veterans.”
EDS says that it was against company policy to take the information out of the office, and that the employee who did so has been disciplined.
- KC's View:
- What is it with these clowns and their apparently casual view of other people’s security, not to mention their company rules?
