Boeing Laptop Theft Puts Thousands at Risk

Company laptop thefts are usually the result of carelessness on the part of the employee. This was the case with the latest Boeing laptop theft. The laptop was stolen earlier this month when an employee left it unattended. The stolen laptop contained the names, addresses, and Social Security numbers of 382,000 current and former Boeing employees, leaving these people at risk of identity theft.

A Boeing spokesman insisted that the laptop was turned off at the time of the theft, and required a password to access files so the information could not be accessed easily. How comforting is that for current and former Boeing employees? It wouldn't be enough for me, and the company is taking the necessary steps for those who feel the same way. Boeing has not only contacted those whose information may be compromised but also offered them credit monitoring for the next three years. Boeing has not said whether or not disciplinary action has been taken against the employee in question (I'd hope they are).

However, the most disturbing thing about it is that this is not the first such occurrence from Boeing in recent years, but the third. This is obvious carelessness. Employees handling sensitive information need to be trained in proper security procedures and punished when these procedures are not followed.