North America’s “October Surprise” - 2.5 Million Personal Electronic Records Stolen in 2004 Due to Computer Thefts
Computer and data thefts take place regularly around the country. PC Guardian tracks computer thefts year-round and has found dozens of computer thefts in the United States and Canada that have resulted in the exposure of nearly 2.5 million records. In every case, risk of data loss could have been reduced if the computers had been locked down using a computer cable lock.
SAN RAFAEL, CA (PRWEB) November 3, 2004 -- All eyes have been on California’s
most recent “October Surprise” — a network hack that led to one of the largest
known data security breaches on record.
In October, officials for the
state apologized for an unauthorized exposure of Social Security Numbers and
other personal records of more than 1.4 million University of California
students. As a result, California’s data security practices have been receiving
close scrutiny.
“A great deal of focus has been given to California due
to SB1386, a state law that requires reporting data security breaches,” says
enterprise computer security expert Noah Groth, president of PC Guardian
Anti-Theft Products Inc. “However, computer and data thefts take place regularly
around the country. PC Guardian tracks computer thefts year-round, and we’ve
found dozens of thefts in the United States and Canada that have resulted in the
exposure of nearly 2.5 million records,” says Groth. “In every case, risk of
data loss could have been reduced if the computers had been locked down using a
computer cable lock.”
For instance, in the last 12 months PC Guardian has
identified the following thefts:
1. Officials for the Ohio Democratic Party
announced the theft of three computers, including a server that contained the
local party’s financial information, names and personal phone numbers of
hundreds of party members, candidates and volunteers.
2. The Republican Party
campaign headquarters in Washington state announced the theft of three laptops
with confidential Bush-Cheney campaign information.
3. Reynolds Cancer
Support Center officials warned clients that a server containing personal health
information was stolen from its Fort Smith, Ark., office.
4. A Lake Forest,
Calif., direct mail marketing company reported the theft of a server containing
personal financial records of more than 100,000 credit union customers in the
western United States.
5. First Option Financial reported the theft of
thousands of personal financial records when computers were stolen from its
office in Houston, Texas.
6. Wells Fargo & Company lost more than 200,000
customer financial records when two laptops were stolen, one in California, the
other in Texas.
7. Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), in Arlington,
Virginia, reported the theft of computers containing financial data on thousands
of customers from United Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, Delta Airlines and
American Airlines.
8. Kern County Mental Health Office lost 110,000 personal
Medicare records when a laptop was stolen from its Bakersfield, Calif.
office.
Computer theft costs business and consumers more than $5 billion
each year, according to Groth. PC Guardian Anti-Theft Products routinely helps
large businesses and government agencies avoid the embarrassment of having to
notify customers of a data security breaches by developing advanced computer
security lockdowns.
“Our job is to give IT administrators the tools they
need to protect their data, reduce the risks of data loss and avoid the costs
associated with having the notify customers of a security breach,” says
Groth.
Since its founding 20 years ago, PC Guardian has developed more
than 150 computer anti-theft solutions — more than any other computer security
manufacturer.
PC Guardian’s solutions include the
following:
• The patented Notebook Guardian, which secures
laptops, desktops, projectors and flat panel monitors and is the preferred
security solution for more than 50 major corporations and agencies in the
US.
• The Double Guardian, and the Notebook Guardian
Expansion System. Each solution simultaneously protects more than one piece of
equipment. The Expansion System secures virtually any equipment
configuration.
• The dual-purpose CD-ROM and 3.5” Disc
Drive Lock, which protects against unauthorized downloading of sensitive data,
the installation of unauthorized computer programs and the use of company
computers to create illegal copies of CDs or DVDs.
For more information
about PC Guardian Anti-Theft Products, visit the company’s Web site http://www.pcguardiananti-theft.com/ or call 800-288-8126
(415-459-0190).
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/11/prweb174038.htm