USF has set up a toll-free helpline staffed 7 days a week and offered those affected free credit monitoring for 1 year via Triple Advantage, which also provides identity theft insurance (unless you happen to be a resident of New York State).

USF’s notification and disclosure letters did not indicate where or how the laptop was stolen, nor the total number of individuals affected. The company’s web site indicates that is has 27,000 employees nationwide, but it is not clear whether all current employees had data on the stolen laptop, nor how many former employees, applicants or dependents had data on the laptop.

Source: PogoWasRight.org
Privacy news, data breaches, and privacy-related events and resources from around the world.

The 4,000 troops of the 4th Brigade 2nd Infantry Division just returned from a 14-month-long deployment in Iraq and they celebrated a long-awaited homecoming. But just a week after the celebration, a laptop was stolen – possibly on the Fourth of July – that contained brigade members’ social security numbers and other personal information.

“Where was that laptop?… Why was it able to be stolen?” questioned Kristen Manning.

Fort Lewis issued the following statement:

The Army takes security of personal information extremely seriously. We will investigate the incident (and) learn from it to better protect our soldiers and families.

So, as Stryker soldiers enjoy their 30-day leave, they are also being told to keep an eye on credit reports.

“Back-to-back deployments being gone a lot of the time, you can’t do much about it half way around the world,” said veteran David Bell.

It’s unclear at this point exactly how many soldiers are affected by this theft and Fort Lewis isn’t saying where or how the laptop was stolen.

Source:
KING Channel 5 News

Source: The Breach Blog
http://breachblog.com/2008/06/19/bearingpoint.aspx

“Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) regulations came into force last July in Europe yet flawed data destruction processes exist in the majority of firms. Prologic is looking forward to supplying its existing and new customers with the great range of data destruction products available from Proton. The Proton 8000™ Degausser and Proton 1250™ CD/DVD Declassifier meet or exceed the requirements of the WEEE directives for the proper disposal of data,” said Dermot Coyle, Managing Director, Prologic.

Prologic has been successfully competing in the IT security market for 10 years reselling e-mail and web security software and is “delighted to expand into supplying products that allow customers to manage the risk of redundant data storage media,” added Coyle. Prologic has provided solutions to many leading UK and Irish Companies across a range of industry sectors and currently hold contracts with a number of Central and local Government Departments.

Proton is a world-wide leader in data destruction products and services. The majority of Proton products have been thoroughly tested by the US National Security Agency (NSA) since 1987 and many can be found on the NSA evaluated products list. All Proton products are manufactured in the USA and meet or exceed US Department of Defense (DoD) standards for electronic data destruction and are currently being used at numerous DoD agencies.

“Proton’s mission is to help firms and government agencies around the world secure data by its proper disposal at the end of the life cycle by providing the same quality products used at the highest levels of US government and military. The UK is mandating compliance under WEEE and the Data Protection Act (DPA) and through our partnership with Prologic we look forward to bringing secure data destruction products to firms across Europe,” said John Lobo, CEO of Proton.

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About Prologic

Prologic Data Management offers state of the art IT solutions, security and support. The Prologic commitment to professionalism and its clients have earned it the highly coveted Deloitte Fast 50 IT Award in Ireland for three straight years. For more information on products and services from Prologic, visit: http://www. prologic.ie

About Proton

Proton Data Security manufactures degaussers and declassification systems in the USA, partnering with distributors and resellers to reach national and international markets. Proton also provides R&D and consulting services to firms for electronic data security compliance. To learn more about Proton and its products and services, visit www.protondatasecurity.com

Contact:

Source: The Breach Blog

*”The Home Office is the government department responsible for leading the national effort to protect the public from terrorism, crime and anti-social behaviour.” - Source Home Office About Us page
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/

More:
Leapfrog Discovers Home Office Laptop
27 Feb 2008

Counter terrorism police are investigating the discovery of a Home Office laptop and encrypted data disc found by Leapfrog - apparently bought on eBay.

Sky News Home Affairs correspondent Mark White said: “The Home Office has confirmed to me that it is investigating the recovery of a confidential data disc. On Tuesday afternoon a man took a laptop into a computer shop in the Manchester area to try to get it repaired and they found an encrypted disc.”

Leapfrog’s Managing Director, Lee Bevan told Sky News: “This seemed just another IT repair. The customer said he had bought it on eBay and seemed quite innocent. It is just an ordinary laptop. It was only when we opened up the keyboard that we found the disc - it had the words Home Office and Confidential written all over it. We put it in the safe and contacted the police in London. They have been here most of the day examining the items and speaking to staff.”

In a statement, the Home Office said: “We can confirm that encrypted IT equipment has been handed in to Greater Manchester Police. Both the laptop and disc were encrypted, thus safeguarding the information stored on them. An investigation is now underway and it would be inappropriate to comment any further.”

Dr. Ebadian has more than 25 years experience in working with academia, private industry, and government at all levels. During his career as a researcher and administrator, he has secured and managed more than $ 100 million in work for the military, federal government, and commercial sectors, both in the U.S. and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. From January 2005 to the present he has worked with the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) and other major private sector corporations in pursuing several ongoing major initiatives as well as initiating several new ones dealing with building multidisciplinary teams composed of academic institutions from different states, small businesses and major companies to respond to several announcements from Federal agencies. Those included a Center of Excellence from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), an Energy Research Center from the National Science Foundation (NSF), and others. He is also a Professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering in the College of Engineering at Florida International University (FIU) and has taught various courses, among them one dealing with entrepreneurial leadership, especially emphasizing the positive and negative impacts of Technology on Society.

Dr. Ebadian currently is a member of 14 professional societies and serves on several governmental committees including the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Research, Engineering and Development Advisory Committee. He has also been a member of panels and advisory boards of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Dr. Ebadian holds B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University. He obtained his M.S. degree in Engineering Management from the University of Southwestern Louisiana.

Dr. Ebadian has published extensively, with 104 journal publications and 174 meeting and proceedings papers to his credit. He is an Associate Editor of ASME Journal of Heat Transfer and has authored chapters in two reference texts, and a third textbook on forced convection is currently in press. A vigorous supporter of higher education, Dr. Ebadian was given the Distinguished Service Medallion by FIU and the Service Award by the Governor of the State of Florida.

Proton Data Security, LLC offers products and services for secure data destruction and IT asset disposal compliance mandated by Sarbanes-Oxley, GLB, FACTA, HIPAA and WEEE. Proton Data Security, LLC is the exclusive manufacturer for Proton Engineering, Inc. All Proton declassification products are manufactured to the requirements of, and meet or exceed DOD standards for, CD or magnetic data destruction devices.

Proton’s dedication to data management and erasure techniques have earned it an international reputation for supplying rugged, high quality media security products.