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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Security raised over laptop theft | Security raised over laptop theft |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Nationwide building society says it is tightening security after the theft of an employee's laptop containing customer information. | Nationwide building society says it is tightening security after the theft of an employee's laptop containing customer information. |
| Security experts have raised fears that the company's 11m customers could have been put at risk of identity crime. | Security experts have raised fears that the company's 11m customers could have been put at risk of identity crime. |
| The computer was stolen in a domestic burglary three months ago. | The computer was stolen in a domestic burglary three months ago. |
| Bosses have apologised to customers and reassured them that they will not become identity-theft victims. | Bosses have apologised to customers and reassured them that they will not become identity-theft victims. |
| Nationwide, Britain's biggest building society, has informed the authorities and said it will be writing to customers to give them security advice in the next few weeks. | Nationwide, Britain's biggest building society, has informed the authorities and said it will be writing to customers to give them security advice in the next few weeks. |
| Chat rooms are full of people trading credit card details online in real time at all hours of the day and night Peter Wood, IT security expert | Chat rooms are full of people trading credit card details online in real time at all hours of the day and night Peter Wood, IT security expert |
| It is reassuring customers that no PIN numbers, account passwords or memorable information was on the laptop. | It is reassuring customers that no PIN numbers, account passwords or memorable information was on the laptop. |
| But it does not deny that names and account numbers could have been. | But it does not deny that names and account numbers could have been. |
| Security experts said if the information stored on the computer was obtained by identity thieves they could attempt to take out credit cards in customers' names. | Security experts said if the information stored on the computer was obtained by identity thieves they could attempt to take out credit cards in customers' names. |
| Peter Wood, from computer security firm First Base Technologies, told BBC Radio 4's Money Box he did not think it would be difficult for thieves to access the data. | Peter Wood, from computer security firm First Base Technologies, told BBC Radio 4's Money Box he did not think it would be difficult for thieves to access the data. |
| And he warned: "The chat rooms many people use are full of people trading credit card details online in real time at all hours of the day and night." | And he warned: "The chat rooms many people use are full of people trading credit card details online in real time at all hours of the day and night." |
| 'Appalling' | 'Appalling' |
| Diane Gaston, of the National Consumer Council, told the programme she is angry customers were not told sooner. | Diane Gaston, of the National Consumer Council, told the programme she is angry customers were not told sooner. |
| "A three-month delay is appalling. People should be able to trust that if a problem has happened they will be told about it straight away." | "A three-month delay is appalling. People should be able to trust that if a problem has happened they will be told about it straight away." |
| But Nationwide said there is no indication that data had been stolen and nobody has lost any money. | But Nationwide said there is no indication that data had been stolen and nobody has lost any money. |
| Chief executive Philip Williamson told BBC Five Live that he was "genuinely sorry" for the theft and any concern it had caused customers. | Chief executive Philip Williamson told BBC Five Live that he was "genuinely sorry" for the theft and any concern it had caused customers. |
| There is no chance of any customer suffering any financial loss on their accounts as a result of this Philip Williamson, Nationwide chief executive | There is no chance of any customer suffering any financial loss on their accounts as a result of this Philip Williamson, Nationwide chief executive |
| "We have tightened up our already high security procedures and this should ensure it couldn't happen again." | "We have tightened up our already high security procedures and this should ensure it couldn't happen again." |
| He also reassured customers they were not at risk. | He also reassured customers they were not at risk. |
| In a separate interview with the BBC's Today programme he said: "The customer information on the stolen laptop can't be used on its own to perpetrate identity theft. | In a separate interview with the BBC's Today programme he said: "The customer information on the stolen laptop can't be used on its own to perpetrate identity theft. |
| "There is no chance of any customer suffering any financial loss on their accounts as a result of this." | "There is no chance of any customer suffering any financial loss on their accounts as a result of this." |
| But, Barry Stamp, former director of CIFAS, the fraud prevention service, said it was unusual for an entire customer database to be stored on a laptop. | But, Barry Stamp, former director of CIFAS, the fraud prevention service, said it was unusual for an entire customer database to be stored on a laptop. |
| Mr Stamp, who is now joint managing director of checkmyfile.com, told the BBC: "On the one hand we should say hats off to Nationwide for actually admitting that one of these laptops has been stolen. | |
| "We've seen cases like this almost every week at the moment, but on the other hand you have to ask why that information was contained on a laptop and why the security was lax at Nationwide in such a way that you could download the entire database to a laptop. | "We've seen cases like this almost every week at the moment, but on the other hand you have to ask why that information was contained on a laptop and why the security was lax at Nationwide in such a way that you could download the entire database to a laptop. |
| "This is really unusual." | "This is really unusual." |
| 'Review needed' | 'Review needed' |
| Donal Casey, security expert at IT consultancy Morse, said companies needed to review how much information employees were allowed to transfer to laptops. | Donal Casey, security expert at IT consultancy Morse, said companies needed to review how much information employees were allowed to transfer to laptops. |
| He said: "Businesses really need to be asking themselves whether employees need to be carrying around sensitive customer data like bank account details on a laptop. | He said: "Businesses really need to be asking themselves whether employees need to be carrying around sensitive customer data like bank account details on a laptop. |
| "If a criminal steals this information and uses it to commit identity fraud the implications for a financial institution would be huge." | "If a criminal steals this information and uses it to commit identity fraud the implications for a financial institution would be huge." |
| The financial regulator, the FSA, and the Office of the Information Commissioner have both been informed. | The financial regulator, the FSA, and the Office of the Information Commissioner have both been informed. |
| They say they are continuing to discuss the situation with Nationwide, but neither is taking any other action at this stage. | They say they are continuing to discuss the situation with Nationwide, but neither is taking any other action at this stage. |