Post on 30-Jun-2015
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Five embarrassing mobile device thefts
As devices become more portable and storage becomes smaller, the potential for danger when
devices go missing is rising exponentially. Here are five embarrassing cases where mobile
devices went missing, and sensitive information was compromised.
By Jeff JedrasPhoto by chanpipat
Lost laptop adds to BP oil spill grief
As if the BP oil spill off Louisiana wasn’t bad enough, the damage was compounded when a BP
employee lost a laptop containing personal data of thousands of residents who had filed
compensation claims in 2011.Photo by Ideum
Veterans data lost, recovered
An employee of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs took home a laptop and external drive
with sensitive personal information on millions of vets in 2006; they went missing following a
home break-in. Following an FBI investigation, the devices were recovered.
Missing laptop grounds flyers
New sign-ups for the U.S Registered Traveller program were halted when a contractor lost a
laptop in 2008 with personal data on 33,000 applicants at San Francisco’s airport. The laptop
had two layers of password protection, and was in a locked office.Photo by Schill
Voter information compromised
In a classic opportunistic theft, a laptop with voter registration information on over 14,000
voters was stolen from a city council office in the UK in 2009. No voter choice information was
compromised, but the data needed to apply for credit was.Photo by Tatoy
Attempted blackmail of F1 driver
Not a device theft, but a reminder to wipe all personal data before disposing of old devices. In
2008, someone found F1 driver Adrian Sutil’s old laptop, with its personal data, and attempted
to blackmail him to prevent its disclosure. He was arrested by the authorities.Photo by Morgana F1