Laptop Stolen With Personal Data On 300000 Health Insurance Clients - InformationWeek

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey have notified its members that an employee laptop computing machine computer containing personal information -- including Sociable Security Numbers -- for about 300,000 people was stolen in early January.

The wellness attention insurance company have sent letters to one thousands of its members alerting them about the theft, which occurred in Newark, N.J. on Jan. 5. On its Web site, the company states a "security characteristic was initiated" on Jan. Twenty-Eight that "destroys all the information on the purloined computer."

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey states the personal information contained on the computing machine also included name calling and computer addresses of members, but no medical data.

The company states it "believes" it is "highly unlikely" that any personal information stored on the purloined computing machine have been accessed and that the computing machine was "password protected."

Nonetheless, the insurance company is offering affected members free recognition monitoring for one year.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey is the up-to-the-minute company to describe a security breach related to a purloined laptop.

Back in October, Gap disclosed the containing personal information on about 800,000 people who applied for occupations with the retailer. That computing machine was stolen from a third-party contractor that pulls off information on occupation applicants.

Among the greatest breaches involving a purloined laptop computing machine occurred in May 2006, when a Department of Veterans Personal Business computer containing personal records on more than than 26.5 million current and former members of the U.S. armed forces was stolen. That hardware was later recovered but led to a and regulations for information utilize and storage.

In another information security breach this week, fiscal services house Davidson Companies revealed that a hacker broke into its databases, stealing personal business relationship information, including name calling and Sociable Security numbers, on more than than 226,000 clients.

Calls to Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey were not immediately returned.