Why Is Boeing Storing Direct Deposit Info On A Laptop?
from the seems-like-an-important-question dept
Boeing has admitted that a laptop containing private info on 161,000 current and former employees was stolen recently. The data was basically all of the info necessary to do direct deposit of paychecks: names, birth dates, Social Security numbers and, yes, bank account info. The company points out that there's a good chance the thief just wanted the laptop to sell, and has no clue about the information on the machine. That's sort of missing the point, isn't it? The real question is why Boeing keeps such information, unencrypted, on an easily stolen laptop? The company also claims this isn't that worrisome because "the computer did not have sensitive company information stored on it." Of course, it would seem that the 161,000 people whose information is now at risk might disagree about just how "sensitive" the information on the laptop really is. The company's stance seems to be that the sensitive info on its employees isn't the company's sensitive info -- but that seems to show a stunning disregard for the fact that these employees are what make the company valuable.![Hide This Hide this](https://ii.techdirt.com/s/t/i/topclose.png)
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Reader Comments
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All too common...
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Re: All too common...
Don't ever trust anyone who doesn't pay you with your SSN. Apparently you can't even trust the people who pay you, but no choice there.
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Re: All too common...
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Re: All too common...
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boeing doesnt care about its employees
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Re: boeing doesnt care about its employees
There is also talk of doubling the number of assembly lines.
Boeing's ups and downs have more to do with the international market then a percieved dislike of the employees.
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Re: boeing doesnt care about its employees
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Global Crossing (same thing)
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No Subject Given
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161,000 more
How do you pay off 161,000 people who are now at risk for identity theft. Personally, I'm an enormous advocate of online shopping and such, however, two years ago I fell victim to identify theft, because of a stupid company.. How do you go back and make that up to a person?
"Preventing is alot easier than repairing.."
idiots...
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Re: 161,000 more
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Re: Re: 161,000 more
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Old news
Companies no longer think of employees as assets, but as expenses that need to be minimized. It's hard to justify some low-level flunky's job to the board of directors, who find it easier to pay a college hire peanuts to do the same work. The people controlling the purse strings are only thinking about their own job and how the investors will panic when profits don't hit record levels in the next quarter.
This is all short term thinking, and it's killing America.
We are running record national deficits that our children and grandchildren are going to have to pay off (or perhaps we'll have to start selling some undesirable--blue--states to get the cash, huh?).
The instant gratification that we get from this short term thinking will have people shaking their heads 20-30 years from now when they write their thesis papers at the Great University at Bangalore about how the great United States experiment failed.
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Re: Old news
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Re: Old news: ...Sometimes that sucks, but sociali
How is socialism worse? Its just a truism in the US without any backing. There are plenty of socialist countries out there that also have pretty free markets, and are doing pretty well for themselves.
Perhaps if the people who say things like "socialism is worse" would care to actually compare all the socialist countries they know of with ours, they would see that in fact socialism is better in some ways, by quite a bit, and it will of course be worse in other areas by quite a bit.
The difference will be the audience. Who is this audience? Well, I assume youre not a billionaire, so American Captialism probably isnt working out in youre favor, predominantly. Other people have it better than you.
But I guess with black and white thinking to solve all the problems, why bother trying to actually find better solutions? Any alternative solution is already worse...
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Re: Old news: ...Sometimes that sucks, but sociali
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Re: Old news: ...Sometimes that sucks, but sociali
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I smell a lawsuit coming
The employees would obviously have a legitimate claim against the company if a class-action suit was filed, as the information they supplied to the company was contingent upon hiring. A reasonable judge would probably throw out any argument about 'info on its employees isn't the company's sensitive info'.. because the theft would affect their livelihood.
Eventually, one company will go too far and be made the public whipping-boy of. It will be interesting to see if that company this time will be Boeing or not. I imagine once the laptop is recovered we'll see what happens in the news.
And we wonder why identity theft is the top crime in America today.
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Boeing and Human Capital Managment
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Stolen User data
Guess it's time that all companies be required under federal statue to do the same. That or there must be a federal statute that requires that credit reporting agencies (who make all of their profit form our data) to allow consumers to shut off all activity on their reports except when THE CONSUMER wants to add or delete. This would give the consumer the power to defeat would be identity thieves (no activity allow, no risk).
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Re: Stolen User data
Want it to change? Write your senator and reps or get your state level politicians to implement it. California has some ate up things in their politics but I recall hearing they have something about this on the books.
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Encryption Technology available for free.
http://www.cypherix.com/cryptainerle/
It's a great program. Very simple to set up and use and it uses 128-bit encryption.
Here's the description text from their website:
"Secure your data and ensure absolute privacy with Cypherix's powerful encryption software, Cryptainer LE. It's powerful 128 bit encryption, creates multiple 25 MB encrypted containers (vaults) on your hard disk. These encrypted vaults can be loaded and unloaded when needed. You can view, modify and hide all types of files with a single password.
Phenomenally easy to use, Cryptainer LE's encryption works with all 32 bit versions of Microsoft Windows (95/98/ME/2000/XP/2003 Server) and with all known file types. Cryptainer allows you to password protect and secure any file or folder on any media, including removable drives (Flash Drives, CD ROM's etc.)
Cryptainer can be installed directly on a USB / removable drive as a "stand alone" install. One can carry this installation of Cryptainer ('Cryptainer Mobile') to different machines without having to install Cryptainer on the host machine.
You can protect your files and folders and ensure total privacy with Cryptainer LE. Simply drag and drop the files and folders you want to hide and voil�! Your files are hidden! With Cryptainer LE you can hide the very existence of your confidential files and folders.
Additionally, Cryptainer LE allows you to send encrypted email files. The recipient need not even have a copy of Cryptainer LE installed to decrypt the files.
Click here to download a FREE, fully functional copy of Cryptainer LE"
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Re: Encryption Technology available for free.
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No Subject Given
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Its worse than it looks
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