Subscribe to our e-mail newsletters
For more info on a specific newsletter, click the title. Details will be displayed in a new window.
Finance
Security
Computerworld Daily News (First Look and Wrap-Up)
Computerworld Blogs Newsletter
The Weekly Top 10
More E-Mail Newsletters 
Computerworld 2007Subscribe to Computerworld
40 years of the most authoritative source of news and information for IT leaders.

Sidebar: Credit Reporting Firm Hit by Theft of Confidential Data

Jaikumar Vijayan   Today’s Top Stories    or  Other Security Stories  
 

Sign up to receive Security Resource Alerts

November 14, 2005 (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.




Print this Story Send Us Feedback E-mail this Story Digg! Digg this Story Slashdot this Story
Bill Requiring Notice of Breaches Goes Forward
Sidebar: Credit Reporting Firm Hit by Theft of Confidential Data
"You see, this is why we love our Macs. I had a good chuckle when I read..." Read more...
"Dear me. Just because I recently talked about Windows XP SP3's virtues and vices, some people seem to think I've..." Read more...
Read more Security posts or See all Blogs
HP-EDS deal spurs range of customer reactions
FAQ: What does the HP-EDS deal really mean?
Microsoft fixes critical Windows, Word flaws
More top stories...
Review: Which 3G network is the best?
IBM set to test the fastest computer in the world
Report: Billionaire investor Carl Icahn mulls a proxy fight at Yahoo
A role on an IT help desk is what you make of it, tech pros say — just don't get too comfy.
Web-based e-mail may be exposing you to privacy and security dangers you didn't sign up for.
Ever been tempted to replace the mechanical hard drive in your laptop with a shiny new solid-state disk? Our expert did so, and here's what he found.
PARC showed erasable paper and other technologies that adds intelligence to documents with raw text.
Reviews, analyses, how-tos, visual tours, hot issues and predictions about Microsoft's new OS.
Four years from now, the IT field will be a vastly different place. Will you be ready?
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

Ads by TechWords

See your link here
Long Tail Supplier Collaboration - What's In It For You?
Long Tail Supplier Collaboration - What's In It For You?
Download this webcast, free, compliments of Sterling Commerce
Go to the webcast 
Computerworld Executive Bulletin: Building a Robust Antivirus Defense
Download this Executive Bulletin (a $49.95 value) for free, compliments of MessageLabs.
(Source: MessageLabs) Antivirus software alone isn't enough to prevent today's speedy, sophisticated virus attacks. Security managers should consider multitiered approaches that include behavior scanning, appliances that check e-mail for worms, and restricting user access to dangerous Web sites. Download this Executive Bulletin (a $49.95 value) for free, compliments of MessageLabs, to learn more.
Download this executive briefing download
Eliminate SPAM, Gain Productivity
Get this white paper now!
(Source: MessageLabs) Learn all about the dangers and the costs of spam in all its forms - from stock-touting to spreadsheet. Also, understand the drawbacks of traditional hardware- and software-based defenses - and the unique benefits of MessageLabs multi-layered, managed Anti-Spam solution; as illustrated by a real-world case study where MessageLabs stopped spam cold.
Download this white paper go
White Papers
Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services.
New Fujitsu High-End Itanium Windows- and Linux-Based PRIMEQUEST Servers Offer the Utmost in High Availability
New Fujitsu High-End Itanium-Based PRIMEQUEST Servers Offer Industry-Leading System Management for Linux and Windows
Symantec State of the Data Center Report 2007
View more whitepapers 
Layered Security Solutions
Although basic network security issues have changed very little over the past decade, the network security landscape has changed dramatically. Today's IT professionals still have the primary responsibility of protecting the confidentiality of corporate information, preventing unauthorized access, and defending the network against attacks. Security experts and analysts agree that a security solution comprised of multiple layers is the best defense against today's increasingly sophisticated attacks.

Download this white paper 
Universal Threat Management - Because Conventional UTM is Not Enough!
This white paper, written by Mark Bouchard of Missing Link Security Services, examines the challenges confronting today's enterprises with respect to managing threats on a network. It also discusses the need for "Universal Threat Management", which is a security solution approach for all physical locations within an enterprise that require threat protection.

Download this white paper 
Selecting the Right Threat Management Solution
This short demo will guide you through key considerations for selecting a solution to manage threats on a network. Learn about the popularity of Unified Threat Management (UTM), and how it fits into an overall security solution. Explore critical elements of a network-wide solution for multisite and large network-size deployments and identify the four key features of a threat management solution.

View this demo