Regardless, an additional 860,000 current and former members of AvMed are being notified that their personal information is at risk due to the apparent theft of two laptops, which went missing from a locked conference room at AvMed Health Plans’ Gainsville office back on December 11.

AvMed once again mentions that there is no evidence of any malicious use of the data, which is normal, and that they are “strengthening data security and procedures.” Thanks to Redemtech for the heads up on the article.

According to the entry at DataLossDB, BCCS International Director Roberto Ribeiro sent a letter to at least one Attorney General (New Hampshire), alerting about the theft, after sending letters to all affected applicants. The content of that particular AG letter is posted, as well as the letter that was mailed to victims.

1. A laptop was stolen from a locked facility on October 15, 2009.
2. It contained personal information such as Social Security Numbers, and other sensitive information.
3. Those affected include all applicants to The Beijing Center from 1994 to 2006.
4. The data wasn’t encrypted. There is no mention of tracking or deletion capabilities for the laptop.
5. The BCCS is sorry about this and has now implemented some security controls.
6. Victims get a one-year credit monitoring subscription.

It really is a classic, textbook incident, including the decision now to better protect data on mobile devices, rather than before one walked out the door. It’s not actually clear how many individuals were affected, so it is difficult to estimate how much credit monitoring services and printing/postage costs for notification are costing the BCCS. Safe guess: the costs are a whole lot more than the cost of the laptop itself, or of solutions like MyLaptopGPS.

Many thanks go kirniki over @ DataLossDB for the tip.

In the middle of March, a laptop was stolen from the Department of Transportation’s Motor Vehicle Safety Office. The office, in Kapolei, reported the laptop missing on March 18th of this year, and recently sent letters to nearly 2,000 licensed drivers in the area. A copy of the letter can be seen here.

KGMB9 News reported, in their article, that the laptop was stolen from the fifth floor of the building. The computer contained the names, personal information, and Social Security numbers of 1,892 drivers. The Department of Transportation urges anyone whose information may be compromised to seek credit-monitoring services, or at least to get a copy of their free annual credit report. It also suggested ways in which to protect yourself from identity theft.

Had the DOT computer been equipped with tracking software like that offered by MyLaptopGPS, I could be sitting on the beach, happily drinking a Mai Tai and hula dancing, not giving a fleeting thought to laptop theft. Or the fact that my credit card charges are going to be so high for these Mai Tais.

All of the information, which originally was stored on a password protected military database, was transferred earlier this year to an airman’s personal laptop to make working from home a bit more convenient.

Unfortunately, this convenience was costly. As reported Saturday in Stars and Stripes, British authorities are still looking for the stolen computer containing this personal information.

The post office employee to whom the laptop belongs reported the theft. The laptop was stolen directly from his residence, in nearby Brandon, in early January.

The article relates that, “The Air Force is not participating in the investigation but posted several notices at the mail center urging people to follow Federal Trade Commission guidelines for identification theft, which include placing a fraud alert on credit information. A mass e-mail with the same notification and advice also was circulated around the base.”

The notice stated that the probability that the information even be accessed is pretty low. There was a disclaimer, however, that they could not guarantee that foul play would not occur.

Air Force officials assured the military that the information was protected not only by a password, but also by a complex encryption system.

Mildenhall officials have not reported any cases of identity theft related to the stolen laptop. However, in the past year, there has been a surge in identity theft among military members stationed in England. According to the article, “150 cases totaling $70,000 were reported in July alone.”

While Mildenhall-based military may have a decreased risk of identity theft, it should still be noted that an overwhelming amount of identity theft cases can be traced back to laptop theft and general oversight of laptop security.

Should you also be concerned about the safety of your laptop, I urge you to look into MyLaptopGPS. It can save you a lot of time and money, return your laptop to you, retrieve sensitive information from the stolen laptop, and even delete that information from the laptop remotely after it has been returned to its rightful owner–you.

Just give it some thought. Because if you thought military security was strong, imagine where that puts your personal computer.

Given the recent Heartland Payment Systems, Inc. breach, such activity is likely to rise significantly. Consumers and businesses alike should be aware, and take action. Credit monitoring services can be very useful and effective. Preventing the theft of credit card information in the first place is a high priority, and hopefully businesses are listening.

In the article, columnist Rob Douglas offers his suggestions to the school district and the public alike, regarding how to breach this important issue.

While Douglas requests that the district send out letters to all affected employees, and recommends credit monitoring to those employees, he notes that it is unlikely that the computer will be used for financial fraud.

Unfortunately, there is no absolute way to ensure this. However, the entire situation could have been prevented, had the laptop been equipped with a security program like that offered by MyLaptopGPS. Perhaps the school district will consider this protection now. Though it is too late for their already-stolen laptop, it can prevent future theft and misuse.

The only stipulation is that the money will only go to those veterans who have suffered actual harm, such as emotional distress, or who have incurred fees from credit monitoring agencies.

Although the laptop was later returned to the VA, 26.5 million vets and active troops could have been spared the emotional distress, and the VA could have saved $20 million had they employed technology such as that offered by MyLaptopGPS.