Article: Alcatel-Lucent reports employee data lost or stolen

An unencrypted CD containing personal information about thousands of Alcatel-Lucent employees and their dependants has been lost or stolen, the company.

The disk contains the names, addresses, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and salary information for U.S. employees who worked for Lucent prior to its merger with Alcatel, as well as Lucent retirees and dependents of both groups, the company said.

The disk was prepared by Hewitt Associates, which administers Alcatel-Lucent’s benefits plans, for delivery via United Parcel Service to another contractor, Aon, Alcatel-Lucent said.

“If you are an Alcatel-Lucent U.S.-paid employee who worked for Lucent, a Lucent retiree or dependent of an employee or retiree, or a COBRA participant, then your information is on the disk,” the company said.

Once again we see an example of human negligence. Security processes are in place but a careless act has enormous impact.

Related links:

• Infoworld
• More articles about careless organizations that allow data to be stolen…