Secret Service closes investigation of missing tapes

Stacy Collett   Today’s Top Stories    or  Other Storage Stories  

Zero Data Loss- Disaster Recovery Live Webinar Critical Considerations for Data De-duplication A Roundtable Discussion on File Management The New Foundation of Storage: Xiotech's Intelligent Storage Element ESG Report: 3PAR Company Profile Taneja Group Report: Next Generation Fibre Channel Storage Systems Market Computerworld Report: Virtual Reality Computerworld Report : Smart Storage Computerworld Report: Storage Gets Strategic Sign up to receive Security Resource Alerts

April 03, 2006 (CSO) -- The U.S. Secret Service has closed three high-profile investigations involving backup tapes from Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc. and Time Warner Inc. that were reported lost in transit to storage facilities in 2005.

The tapes contained personal data on hundreds of thousands of consumers. "The tapes were never found," said Dale Pupillo, deputy special agent in charge of the Secret Service's criminal investigative division. "Although we can't prove what happened, we suspect that the tapes were lost or disposed of in the normal course of transportation. They were damaged or discarded. We don't suspect anyone of having deliberately stolen the tapes."

In another recent case of lost computer media, ABN Amro Mortgage Group Inc. said in December that DHL shipping facility staff had recovered a computer tape (and its data on roughly 2 million customers) nearly a month after it went missing (see "ABN Amro Unit Reveals Electronic Data-Transfer Plan After Tape Snafu").

The rash of tapes that have gone missing have spurred businesses and the federal government to strengthen their security procedures.

Iron Mountain Inc., the records storage and management company whose courier truck lost Time Warner backup tapes, has announced that it now offers customers an "extended level of protection for high-value tapes" that includes special processing instructions for an additional fee. The company is promoting services for digital archiving, electronic vaulting and remote backup business, a small but growing service that makes up about 5% of its business.

Congress is also looking at several bills to protect personal data, including one requiring companies to notify police, consumers and credit card issuers of a breach. The Secret Service, meanwhile, is using its Electronic Crimes Task Force meetings to offer guidance, Pupillo said.

Reprinted with permission from

This story is reprinted from CSO Online.com, an online resource for information executives.
Story Copyright CXO Media Inc., 2006. All rights reserved.

Print this Story

Send Us Feedback

E-mail this Story

Digg this Story

Slashdot this Story

"Both Google and Apple appear to be rolling out new solid state disks in two different environments: the data center..." Read more... "It's IT Blogwatch: in which Sun finally releases OpenSolaris, but with a surprising, cloud-computing twist, courtesy of Amazon EC2. Not..." Read more... Read more Storage posts or See all Blogs

Tools circulate that crack Debian, Ubuntu keys Former Microsoft manager offers free fix for XP SP3 'endless reboot' Can Icahn take on the Yahoo board and win? More top stories...

DNS trouble knocks NSA off Internet Developers confirm, explain why they're avoiding Windows Vista NASA moves to save computers from swarming ants

Shuttle Columbia's hard drive data recovered from crash site Specialists have retrieved about 99% of the data on a disk drive on board the crashed space shuttle Columbia. Don't miss the photographs of the recovered drive. The top 15 vaporware products of all time These big ideas were supposed to revolutionize technology, but they never actually appeared. In a few cases, you'll be glad they didn't. Opinion: Malware vs. anti-malware, 20 years into the fray Nearly 20 years after the first Internet worm, Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols takes stock of the malware/anti-malware landscape and spotlights how the two sides are approaching the battle. Leopard at six months: Does it live up to the early hype? Though some thought it was released too soon, Mac OS X 10.5 has matured into a solid operating system, says reviewer Michael DeAgonia. Windows Vista A to Z Reviews, analyses, how-tos, visual tours, hot issues and predictions about Microsoft's new OS. More Continuing Coverage After 9/11: Homeland SecurityAsk a Premier 100 IT LeaderBlackBerry Legal BattleData Security BreachesElectronic VotingFirefoxH-1B VisasHP's Boardroom ScandalHandheld DevicesHurricane Katrina AftermathMicrosoft Legal IssuesMicrosoft's VistaOpen SourceRFID TechnologySCO's Linux FightSarbanes-Oxley ActSpamVoice Over IPWi-FiWindows Meta File VulnerabilityWindows XP Service Pack 2 IT Careers 2010 Four years from now, the IT field will be a vastly different place. Will you be ready? More Special Reports Premier 100 IT Leaders 2007 Best in Class2006 Computerworld Horizon Awards2006 Premier 100 IT Leaders2006 Salary Survey2007 Best Places to Work in IT2007 IT Forecast2007 Premier 100 IT Leaders40 Years of ComputerworldASPs, Take TwoBest Places to Work in IT 2003Best Places to Work in IT 2004Best Places to Work in IT 2005Best Places to Work in IT 2006Business Intelligence Home RunsBusiness Intelligence: Smarter BIBusiness Intelligence: The Future of BICRM Goes VerticalCRM: Sober CRMCareer Planning Guide 2005Careers: IT Profession 2010Computerworld Horizon Awards 2005Data Management: Mining for GemsData Management: Taming Data ChaosDevelopment: Hard-Workin' Web SitesDevelopment: New Tools New ChoicesDevelopment: The New World of Application DevelopmentDevelopment: The Web Services TsunamiDevelopment: Web Services HurdlesDisaster Recovery: Preparing for the WorstE-commerce Grows UpE-mail/Groupware: Big DecisionsFaces of Mobile ITForecast 2006Global MobileHardware: Multiple Cores, Multiple ChallengesHardware: On-Demand Un-HypedHardware: The Shape of Things to ComeHorizon Awards: 10 Cool Cutting Edge TechnologiesIT Management: Guide to Managing VendorsIT Management: Navigating Global ITIT Management: Recovery AheadIT Management: The Future of ITIT Management: The Resourceful Project ManagerInnovative Technology Awards 2004Management: Reinventing ITMicrosoft in TransitionMobile/Wireless Leaders and LaggardsMobile/Wireless: The Untethered WorkerMobile/Wireless: Tiny Gadgets, Huge CostsNetwork Management: Taking ControlNetworking: Turbulence Ahead!Networking: VoIP Goes MainstreamOperating Systems: In the Slow LaneOperating Systems: Linux Goes GlobalOperating Systems: Should You Nix Unix?Outsourcing: Offshore Buyer's GuideOutsourcing: Outsourcing DangersPremier 100 IT Leaders 2004 Best in ClassPremier 100 IT Leaders 2005 Best in ClassROI: Do the Math!Salary Survey 2003Salary Survey 2004Salary Survey 2005Security Action PlanSecurity: Compliance HeadachesSecurity: Proactive SecuritySecurity: Risk and RewardSecurity: Tips From Security ProsSouped-up SecurityStorage: Battling ComplexityStorage: Cheap & Secure Data StoresStorage: Stretching Your Storage DollarsStorage: The Lean Storage MachineStorage: The New Rules of StorageStorage: The Ultimate Backup GuideSupply Chain: Missing LinksSupply Chain: RFID Reality CheckThe Business of SecurityWeb 2.0 SecurityWireless: Wireless At Work All Zones Application Performance Zone Enterprise-Class Security Zone Enterprise Solutions Zone The File Data Management Zone Grid Computing on Windows Zone Security Management Zone ITIL Best Practices Zone The SAS Zone Storage Virtualization Zone The Data Center Management Zone See your link here

Critical Considerations for Data De-duplication Critical Considerations for Data De-duplication Register for this live webcast, airing May 22nd at 2pm ET! Go to the webcast  Computerworld Technology Briefing: Automation + Virtualization = Datacenter Optimization Download this Technology Briefing now! (Source: CA) Apart from its merits, virtualization can introduce new levels of complexity into the datacenter. The complexity can impede the freeing up of valuable human resources to work on more strategic projects. What are needed are tools and solutions to help IT optimize resources while ensuring performance, availability, and business continuity. Download this executive briefing  The Missing Piece of Virtualization Get this white paper now! (Source: Neterion) Server virtualization saves money and increases flexibility.  But it faces some real limits.  Currently, I/O-intensive applications like databases or ERP systems are often excluded from virtualization, due to bottlenecks that are introduced by extra layers of software. I/O virtualization changes the game.  With new industry-standard technologies and 10 Gigabit Ethernet, hardware-based IOV eliminates these bottlenecks, enabling higher numbers of VMs and applications per virtualized system. To uncover new cost saving opportunities, read this new whitepaper and find the missing piece of virtualization. Download this white paper  White Papers Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services. Six Support Issues That Keep Execs Awake at Night Spam Spikes: A Real Risk to Your Business The New Foundation of Storage: Xiotech's Intelligent Storage Element View more whitepapers

• Tools circulate that crack Debian, Ubuntu keys
• Former Microsoft manager offers free fix for XP SP3 'endless reboot'
• Can Icahn take on the Yahoo board and win?
• More top stories 

Storage Virtualization from IBM: Optimizing Storage Throughout the Information Lifecycle Learn how storage virtualization fits into an Information Lifecycle Management strategy and learn how IBM's market leading technology for storage area network (SAN) virtualization can improve storage utilization, decrease time and effort required for storage provisioning, simplify data migration, reduce application downtime and more. Download this white paper now!  See more Whitepapers



Computerworld Technology Briefing: Spyware: A Clear and Present Danger Computer viruses for the most part are nuisances today. Spyware on the other hand can prove utterly devastating if not crippling to a business. Spyware was at the root of the massive TJX case last year in which personal data on millions of people was compromised. And often if you think you are protected, in fact you are not. Download this Technology Briefing Now  See All Executive Briefings



HP StorageWorks EVA4400 Before now, midsize customers settled for either an expensive and complex array or low cost solution that lacked functionality. Now experience virtual storage with enterprise class functionality at an affordable price. View this product demo now





• Seth Weintraub: Vodafone building TV service for 3G iPhone?

• FAQ: Windows XP SP3 reboot hell (and how to get out of it)

• Review: Which 3G network is the best?

Read more news 



• Even in this day and age

• Data recovery from Columbia

Read more Shark Bait