Ride the Lightning

Another Legal Data Breach – Stolen Laptop

July 28, 2015

SC Magazine reported last week that California-based law firm Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo is notifying an undisclosed number of people that an attorney's laptop was stolen and that their personal information may have been compromised. This suggests to me that the laptop was not encrypted.

The information on the laptop included names, addresses, telephone numbers, Social Security numbers and possibly certain financial information or medical records. The theft occurred on April 23rd while the attorney was on the MTS Trolley in San Diego. It was reported to the police on April 24th. The laptop has not been recovered.

The firm has offered recipients of the notification letter a free year of identity theft protection and credit monitoring services. The notification letter states "We have no reason to believe that the laptop was stolen for the information it contained." It also said "We also have no information indicating that this information has been accessed or used in any way."

Undoubtedly that is true. But oh why are lawyers traveling anywhere with unencrypted mobile devices? It is a lesson we seem never to learn.

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