Personal information found in Boca Raton dumpsters
Technorati Tag: Security Breach
Date Reported:
6/4/08
Organization:
Wheeler's Moving Company
Contractor/Consultant/Branch:
None
Victims:
Employees, job applicants and customers
Number Affected:
Unknown
Types of Data:
"files containing driver's licenses, social security numbers, telephone numbers, addresses and birth dates"
Breach Description:
"BOCA RATON, FL (Fox29) - Piles and piles of personal files with tax information, social security numbers and license numbers, were found in a Boca Raton dumpster. These dumpsters are located between a set of warehouses here on Northwest First Avenue."
Reference URL:
WFLX Fox 29 News
WPEC Channel 12 News
Report Credit:
Chuck Weber, WFLX Fox 29 News
Response:
From the online sources cited above:
BOCA RATON, FL (Fox29) - Piles and piles of personal files with tax information, social security numbers and license numbers, were found in a Boca Raton dumpster.
Dumpsters on Northwest 1st Avenue Boca Raton were found full of files and paperwork with personal information - names, addresses, drivers licenses and some social security numbers - all out in the open for the taking.
[Evan] I think we would be surprised at how common it is for organizations to throw confidential information in the garbage (instead of shredding). Unauthorized disclosure of confidential information including personal information, trade secrets, intellectual property, draft press releases, etc. can be very damaging.
The dumped personal records inside, apparently belonged to Wheeler's Moving Company.
containing information on employees or job applicants, and some customers
Some files even dated back as far as 20 years or more.
After contacting the Wheeler's Moving Company, they claimed to have moved out of Boca Raton and into Jupiter about a year ago and they had no idea this had happened.
Building owner Charles Wheeler, former owner of the moving company, says, "In my heart I don't think it's going to be a problem. And I didn't realize until I heard from you guys that there was something sensitive in there. And it should have never been thrown out."
Wheeler says he didn't think any sensitive documents were still inside.
[Evan] A complete lack of awareness. Business owners and leaders (everyone really) need to be more aware of the security implications involving the information they create, collect, use, store, and discard. Thieves are.
Police received a call Monday, and were able to clean up a majority of this dumpster.
There are currently some remnants of the files out there, but officials are doing their best to protect the people on these files so their identities are not stolen and get these files and papers shredded properly.
all the documents have since been shredded.
Wheeler says from now on, he will shred all unneeded documents.
Victim Reaction:
"I'm taken aback; I really almost shaking. The fact that records could be around for all these years,"
"It shouldn't have been available to anybody, but nobody has done anything."
"It's very frightening to think of that it was available, and that it could have happened,"
Commentary:
I feel bad for small business owners that aren't aware of or properly trained in risk management and information security. It's easy to be angry with them, but too many of them just don't know any better.
Obviously, I feel bad for the victims too.
Past Breaches:
Unknown
Date Reported:6/4/08
Organization:
Wheeler's Moving Company
Contractor/Consultant/Branch:
None
Victims:
Employees, job applicants and customers
Number Affected:
Unknown
Types of Data:
"files containing driver's licenses, social security numbers, telephone numbers, addresses and birth dates"
Breach Description:
"BOCA RATON, FL (Fox29) - Piles and piles of personal files with tax information, social security numbers and license numbers, were found in a Boca Raton dumpster. These dumpsters are located between a set of warehouses here on Northwest First Avenue."
Reference URL:
WFLX Fox 29 News
WPEC Channel 12 News
Report Credit:
Chuck Weber, WFLX Fox 29 News
Response:
From the online sources cited above:
BOCA RATON, FL (Fox29) - Piles and piles of personal files with tax information, social security numbers and license numbers, were found in a Boca Raton dumpster.
Dumpsters on Northwest 1st Avenue Boca Raton were found full of files and paperwork with personal information - names, addresses, drivers licenses and some social security numbers - all out in the open for the taking.
[Evan] I think we would be surprised at how common it is for organizations to throw confidential information in the garbage (instead of shredding). Unauthorized disclosure of confidential information including personal information, trade secrets, intellectual property, draft press releases, etc. can be very damaging.
The dumped personal records inside, apparently belonged to Wheeler's Moving Company.
containing information on employees or job applicants, and some customers
Some files even dated back as far as 20 years or more.
After contacting the Wheeler's Moving Company, they claimed to have moved out of Boca Raton and into Jupiter about a year ago and they had no idea this had happened.
Building owner Charles Wheeler, former owner of the moving company, says, "In my heart I don't think it's going to be a problem. And I didn't realize until I heard from you guys that there was something sensitive in there. And it should have never been thrown out."
Wheeler says he didn't think any sensitive documents were still inside.
[Evan] A complete lack of awareness. Business owners and leaders (everyone really) need to be more aware of the security implications involving the information they create, collect, use, store, and discard. Thieves are.
Police received a call Monday, and were able to clean up a majority of this dumpster.
There are currently some remnants of the files out there, but officials are doing their best to protect the people on these files so their identities are not stolen and get these files and papers shredded properly.
all the documents have since been shredded.
Wheeler says from now on, he will shred all unneeded documents.
Victim Reaction:
"I'm taken aback; I really almost shaking. The fact that records could be around for all these years,"
"It shouldn't have been available to anybody, but nobody has done anything."
"It's very frightening to think of that it was available, and that it could have happened,"
Commentary:
I feel bad for small business owners that aren't aware of or properly trained in risk management and information security. It's easy to be angry with them, but too many of them just don't know any better.
Obviously, I feel bad for the victims too.
Past Breaches:
Unknown
Posts Atom 1.0
If it weren't so sad, it would be hilarious. I had a horrible experience with Wheeler -- they misrepresented themselves, held my property hostage, and then when they finally delivered it, tried to hold me up for an extra $750.
They did an incompetent job moving me, so I'm not surprised they were incompetent at moving themselves.
Reply to this
I too feel for the victims of this kind of thing. It’s pretty scary to think that someone such as a mover could obtain that kind of information just by moving you. I used a moving company when I moved into my http://www.langrealty.com/content_no_menu.aspx?cid=71>Boca Raton real estate a few months ago without any problems but this kind of thing makes me paranoid.
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