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Data security: Burglar nabs YMCA laptop, data for 65,000 members stolen

June 6, 2006

Digital Transactions: Credit and debit card data linked to about 65,000 Providence, R.I., YMCA members was exposed after a burglar broke into a locked office, stealing a laptop containing the member information. The stolen data includes checking-account information, Social Security numbers, names and addresses, as well as health information about YMCA members' children enrolled in day-care programs. The theft follows the highly publicized loss of a laptop containing records of 26.5 million U.S. armed-services veterans, active-duty military, Guard and Reserve members. (Read also, Congress breathes new life into data-security concerns.)

News of data breaches have routinely made headlines in recent months, a matter that has begun to worry top-level electronic payments executives. Aside from recent revelations, bankers in particular fret that third-party processors may not be up to the job of securing payment data. In one of the most highly publicized breaches, a hacker last year gained access to information on about 40 million card accounts stored by merchant-processor CardSystems Solutions Inc. (Read also, Court orders CardSystems to retain breach data, Fallout from CardSystems breach continues and FTC puts CardSystems security breach to rest.)

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