Well, the list of incidents involving the theft of a laptop containing personal information about a large number of people continues to grow. A central Florida station reported:
"Health insurer Aetna Inc. reported that a laptop computer containing personal information on about 40,000 of its members was stolen, according to a Local 6 News report. Aetna officials said that someone stole a laptop out of an employee’s vehicle. The laptop contained personal information on 38,000 of its members, including names, addresses and Social Security numbers. Aetna is sending letters to its members, Local 6 News has learned. The insurance company said it has not detected that any of the information on the notebook computer has been used, the report said. Watch Local 6 News for more on this story."
No mention of whether or not the data was clear text, but the report seems to imply it was not encrypted.
The mantra continues…
Encrypt personal information…don’t allow databases with large amounts of personal information on mobile computing devices…don’t leave laptops in cars…
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