Ex-Mitsubishi UFJ Unit Worker Arrested for Data Theft http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aUY6n9IWBOZU

How is your data protected from internal theft?

The employee was the former Director of Communications. He stole the tapes after disabling the video surveillance from the backup data warehouse where these tapes [...]]]> An employee of the New York Police Department’s pension fund has been accused of stealing 8 backup tapes with social security numbers and direct deposit account information for over 80,000 NYPD.

The employee was the former Director of Communications. He stole the tapes after disabling the video surveillance from the backup data warehouse where these tapes were being stored.

If a Director of Communications can get into the data storage warehouse, disable the cameras and steal 8 tapes, imagine how easy it is for your IT department to swipe the tapes before they ever leave your office. You may never know they are missing!

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/03/04/NYPD_may_be_victim_of_identity_theft/UPI-55201236185221/

Danny Palo, the chief operating officer of the data-storage company, stated in [...]]]> Company who identifies themselves as ‘The Premiere Media Vaulting Facility in the State of Arkansas’ lost a backup tape containing names, date of birth, social security numbers and addresses for 807,000 people who have had criminal background checks over the last 12 years.

Danny Palo, the chief operating officer of the data-storage company, stated in an article on thecabin.net (http://www.thecabin.net/stories/022109/loc_0221090013.shtml) “Since all the data was backup serving as copies of the original data the Department of Information Systems holds in its own facilities there was no data lost, and a copy was quickly made to replace the tape.”

Actually there is data lost (or stolen) – the social security numbers and names of the 807,000 people affected.

They also state that there’s no evidence of criminal activity and the attempt would have been very difficult because two forms of electronic security need to be passed before reaching the files in a massive vault, which is set up like a library where only workers can access the tapes.

How do they know that one of their workers did not steal or misplace the tape? It happens more often than you’d probably expect.

If a company specializing in computer backup vaulting can lose your tape, then who can you trust with it?