Best precedent EVAR!!!

About bloody time. What the hell was a manager doing with patient data? He no doubt broke the rules if not the law in storing it on a laptop in the first place.

I'm a fan of mobile computing like most people here, but why does everybody seem to need a laptop? What justifies this manager having a laptop for the day to day work? Perhaps there was a good reason but it's just as likely the they simply wanted one.

Confidential data + mobile device = FAIL

Jimbob

I think the first problem is why he was able to have so much data transfered to his machine? Surely there have been enough high-profile precedents (especially in the UK) that should have made people at least think twice about leakage vector.


Even if the manager in question had a legitmate reason for requiring the data (possible), and on a mobile device (less likely but still possible). What reason did he have for taking the data to a different country, over 400 miles away whilst on holiday?

It is ashame that this guy is going to take the fall for what is commonly a non-issue, just using the UK as an example several high-ranking government and security services personnel have been in similar situations with nothing other a slapped wrist.

Regardless, it is nice to see an organisation taking tough action to lacking security controls, whether or not the hospital had sufficient procedures/policies in place to make the dismal fair is another matter.

Either way it will hopefully increase general awareness of the problem which can only be a good thing of those of us having to protect against and clean up after end-users get their hands on shiny toys.

Think Jimbob put it best
RR

Maybe I'm just nuts here, but I hear all these stories and see statistics on the number of laptops stolen or lost, and I simply can't wrap my brain around it. Maybe it's because I am a little paranoid and keep a close eye on my stuff. On the other hand, maybe it is because I pay for most of my stuff and can't fathom having to pay again.

Either way, I've never had a laptop stolen, and I've had plenty of them and travelled quite a bit. I always lock my door before leaving my office even if it's just to hit the john.

Maybe he should be fired for lack of care of company property let alone the data it contained.

Am I alone on this in thinking that it simply is just carelessness? How many of you have had a laptop stolen or lost?

Don

I also have never had a laptop stolen, personal or business.
However I put this down to working in IT, working in Security, and not being a total numpty
I say this as ever organisation I have worked in loss and theft of business laptops, pdas, blackberry's are common place.

I think its due to not enough awareness, but more generally the human race not giving two hoots about someone elses property. I think people are careless, and are not to bothered about a company machine, they thing ah well though probably got it cheap, and can replace it easily, just a pain I need to own up about it.

I fear many laptops are lost and stolen with customer data on, but the individual wouldnt not divulge this information, and companies may not have the tracking and logging in place to identify either.

Oh well keeps us in a job I guess, I just wish companies would be more proactive with security.

I saw a scary stat one time. the number one unclaimed item from an airport's lost and found is a laptop. What are people thinking these days?

I'm thinking some people have too much money. I struggle to afford my kit in the first place, nevermind replace kit I forget to pick up when my brain stops working