Thieves have stolen laptop computers and discs from a Youth Justice Board (YJB) building in London. It is not known what type of information is available on the stolen items, or whether data protection programs like hard disk encryption from AlertBoot had been used to secure the information.
The YJB, according to cypnow.co.uk, collates information on young offenders (i.e., juvenile delinquents) from various sources, which leads to a very revealing profile on children and teenagers. These being children, I'd assume that financial information cannot be part of their database...but everything else could be. Traditionally, collating information requires permanent, unchanging IDs as an anchor. Otherwise, how's one to discern one John Smith from another John Smith? This is the reason why a lot of businesses in the US ask for customers' SSNs; no doubt the UK has something similar to it. I'd assume this number is part of the youths' data on file. I'd also assume that it also includes other information that has been proven to be helpful when committing fraud, such as via ID theft: addresses, parents' names, phone numbers, etc. In the wrong hands, the information would be a boon to anyone looking to defraud businesses and the government.
The YJB, according to cypnow.co.uk, collates information on young offenders (i.e., juvenile delinquents) from various sources, which leads to a very revealing profile on children and teenagers. These being children, I'd assume that financial information cannot be part of their database...but everything else could be.
Traditionally, collating information requires permanent, unchanging IDs as an anchor. Otherwise, how's one to discern one John Smith from another John Smith? This is the reason why a lot of businesses in the US ask for customers' SSNs; no doubt the UK has something similar to it. I'd assume this number is part of the youths' data on file.
I'd also assume that it also includes other information that has been proven to be helpful when committing fraud, such as via ID theft: addresses, parents' names, phone numbers, etc.
In the wrong hands, the information would be a boon to anyone looking to defraud businesses and the government.
The fact that laptops could mean that the theft was an opportunistic act: thieves broke in and stole what they could find of material value. However, the fact that discs were stolen implies that the thieves were doing much more than that. If encryption software was not used to secure the contents on the stolen items (whole disk encryption on the laptops and file encryption on the discs), the data stored in them could be easily read, and the information misused.
The fact that laptops could mean that the theft was an opportunistic act: thieves broke in and stole what they could find of material value. However, the fact that discs were stolen implies that the thieves were doing much more than that.
If encryption software was not used to secure the contents on the stolen items (whole disk encryption on the laptops and file encryption on the discs), the data stored in them could be easily read, and the information misused.
Related Articles and Sites:http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/ByDiscipline/Youth-Justice/919163/YJB-computer-theft-put-children-risk/