Ads by TechWords

See your link here
Receive the latest technology news and information.
Security
Computerworld Daily News (First Look and Wrap-Up)
Computerworld Blogs Newsletter
The Weekly Top 10
Cloud Computing
View all newsletters




Privacy Policy
 

Sidebar: Credit Reporting Firm Hit by Theft of Confidential Data

November 14, 2005 12:00 PM ET

Computerworld - TransUnion LLC, one of the three major credit-reporting companies, last week became the latest large business to report a security lapse involving the potential compromise of confidential customer data.
The Chicago-based company disclosed that a password-protected desktop PC containing Social Security numbers and other personal information belonging to more than 3,600 consumers was stolen from one of its sales offices in California last month. The theft prompted TransUnion to send notices to the people who were affected by the breach, informing them of the theft and offering a year's worth of free credit monitoring services.
TransUnion also has been monitoring the credit reports of affected consumers since the theft occurred, the company said in a statement. "At this point, we do not believe there is any indication of any fraudulent activity," it added.
However, Prat Moghe, CEO of Tizor Systems Inc., a Maynard, Mass.-based vendor of activity auditing tools, said via e-mail that the breach could have a wider impact if information stored on the stolen PC enables whoever has it to access databases holding information about people other than the initial set of victims.
TransUnion maintains credit histories on consumers for use by lenders and other businesses. Its breach is the latest in a series of high-profile data compromises that have raised concerns about identity theft and prompted federal lawmakers to propose several IT security regulations.
The company said that it notified local law enforcement authorities of the break-in and that it has assembled an internal team to investigate the incident.

Read more about security in Computerworld's Security Knowledge Center.



Jump to comments

Security

Additional Resources

Microsoft
Here are some of the key reasons why you would want to run Unified Access Gateway with DirectAccess.
Microsoft
Review how one energy firm tightened protection and simplified IT work using business-ready security solutions.
Sybase
In this white paper, IDC analyzes the role of next-generation mobile enterprise platforms as organizations seek a more strategic deployment of mobile solutions.

Learn the important issues you must consider before starting your next mobility initiative. Get your mobility white paper from IDC now, compliments of Sybase.

White Papers & Webcasts

Death to PST Files
Download Now  

Web 2.0, Social Media and the Dark Web - A Web Criminals Paradise?
In this discussion, learn about the challenges of protecting your users from the potentially unsafe content hidden in the "Dark Web".

eGuide: Enterprise Security
Smart Security Strategies for 2010. Read now!  

Disaster Recovery 2008: Reduced Costs and Improved Performance
How long can your Enterprise afford to be without your data? With an accelerated disaster recovery program, you never have to answer this...


IT Jobs