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02/27/2005 Archived Entry: "Bank of America loses 1.2 million customer records, including ..."

IF YOU THINK CHOICEPOINT SCREWED UP, have a look at what Bank of America did.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Computer tapes containing credit card records of U.S. Senators and more than a million U.S. government employees are missing, Bank of America said on Friday, putting the customers at increased risk of identity theft.

The security breach, which included data on a third of the Pentagon's staff, angered lawmakers already concerned after criminals gained access to thousands of consumer profiles in a database maintained by a data profiling company, ChoicePoint Inc.

Bank of America Corp. did not release details of how the tapes were lost, but Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, said he had been informed by the Senate Rules Committee that the data tapes were likely stolen off a commercial plane by baggage handlers. ...

Social security numbers, addresses and account numbers were on the tapes for 1.2 million account holders, of which about 900,000 belonged to Defense Department employees, Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said.

I especially like this part:

Although the tapes were lost months ago, bank officials were only allowed to notify cardholders when they received permission from federal law enforcement authorities, Bank of America spokeswoman Eloise Hale said.

As with the ChoicePoint mess, delayed notification comes under the "I'm from the government and I'm here to help you" department.

Posted by Claire @ 11:09 PM CST
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