FTC: Laptops Stolen Affecting 110 Individuals' Data Privacy

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is notifying 110 people that two laptop computers containing their personal data were stolen from a locked vehicle. The information includes individuals' names, addresses, Social Security numbers, birth dates and "in some cases, financial account numbers," the regulatory agency said yesterday. The laptops are password-protected, and the FTC said it had no reason to think the data on the laptops, rather than the laptops themselves, was the target of theft.

It's only the latest case in which sensitive information has been lost on government computers. Last month, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said personal data for 26.5 million veterans may have been compromised after a break-in at an analyst's home.

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