[Dataloss] Florida Dept of Transportation loses laptop, 40K pilots' data

[dano]

 From the online publication of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association 
(US), ePilot:


AOPA ePilot         Volume 8, Issue 33        August 18, 2006

  AOPA MEMBERS OUTRAGED OVER LOSS OF PERSONAL INFO

AOPA President Phil Boyer fired off a blistering letter to the 
Department  of Transportation's inspector general after the loss of a 
government laptop computer exposed tens of thousands of Florida 
pilots to the risk of identity theft. The letter was a follow-up to 
Boyer's phone conversation with the inspector general last week right 
after AOPA learned about the incident. The laptop, stolen from a 
government agent's car, included the names, addresses, and Social 
Security numbers of some 40,000 pilots, all the information a
thief needs to obtain fraudulent credit cards or loans. Boyer told 
Acting DOT Inspector General Todd Zinser that AOPA members were 
"outraged that such sensitive personal information would be left 
unsecured." Ironically, the FAA has stopped using Social Security 
numbers for new pilot certificate numbers, is allowing pilots to 
change their old certificate numbers, and has removed certificate 
numbers from its Web site.