Yeah, yeah, we know: This is way too easy, but simply impossible to let pass without comment. The Federal Trade Commission last week reported that two of its laptops had been stolen containing the personal information of about 110 people.
Some FTC lawyers were reportedly using the laptops to prepare a case when the machines were stolen from a locked car. The laptops contained names, social security numbers, and some financial account numbers.
Yep, this is the same FTC responsible for making sure marketers don’t get sloppy with their customers’ personal information.
After a $10 million settlement with ChoicePoint last January over ChoicePoint’s alleged mishandling of people’s files, Deborah Platt Majoras, Chairman of the FTC, offered the following warning:
“The message to ChoicePoint and others should be clear: Consumers’ private data must be protected from thieves,” said Platt Majoras. “Data security is critical to consumers, and protecting it is a priority for the FTC, as it should be to every business in America.”
After last week’s incident, Betsy Broder, the FTC assistant director for privacy and identity protection, reportedly told Reuters: “We wish this hadn’t happened. No data security is perfect and we’re going to use this as a way to improve our practices and security.”
A way to improve practices and security? How? With a seminar entitled “Don’t Leave Laptops Unattended in Your Car Where Thieves Can Spot Them, You Morons?”
The Federal Trade Commission last week reported that two of its laptops had been stolen containing the personal information of about 110 people.
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