Remember that laptop stolen from United Food and Commercial Workers International in March? Some new details are emerging.
First, it turns out that Canadians’ details were also on the laptop. Bill Kaufmann of the Calgary Sun reports that a local union president said the laptop contained information on 28,000 Alberta members, including their social insurance numbers.
A recipient of a notification letter also revealed that his letter indicated that the theft occurred from a New York City UFCW office.
At the time of the union’s notification to the New Hampshire Attorney General, the total number of people affected was not indicated. Nor was the location of the theft or any statement as to whether the data were encrypted.
While total numbers have as yet to be revealed, Kaufmann’s story cites a union official as saying that the data were encrypted.
Alberta’s Privacy Commissioner has reportedly launched a probe of the incident. Although encryption might provide safe harbor here in the U.S., it will be interesting to see if Canada imposes any sanctions or requires new security procedures.