One Stolen Laptop Leads to Personal Data Risk for Nearly 100,000 at UC Berkeley

Quick, what would you say is the most obvious way for data to end up in the wrong hands? If you said “having the laptop on which it resides stolen”, give yourself a pat on the back. Now quick, what is one of the most preventable forms of data theft? If you said “having the laptop on which it resides stolen”, give yourself another pat on the back. You’re obviously much smarter than those in charge at U.C. Berkeley. More on that after the following rant.

It is just plain stupid, some would even argue negligent, to allow a laptop to be stolen! And yet daily, across the country and around the world, there can be no doubt that hundreds - perhaps even thousands - of laptops containing corporate and even sensitive information, are left unguarded in coffee shops, airports and hotels, to name but a few places.

It’s bad enough that people don’t take care to ensure that strangers can’t read their laptops over their shoulder when they are working in a public place on sensitive data. But to walk away from that laptop while you go to get another Double Decaf Vente Brainchillacino is just…

[One Stolen Laptop Leads to Personal Data Risk for Nearly 100,000 at UC Berkeley, Continued]