Encryption can save data in laptop lapses
Reports of data theft often conjure up images of malicious hackers breaking into remote databases to filch Social Security numbers, credit card records and other personal information.
But a lot of the time, the scenario is much simpler: A careless worker at a company or agency with weak security policies falls prey to a low-tech street thug who runs off with a laptop loaded with private data.
In the biggest case, the Department of Veterans Affairs recently lost data on 26.5 million veterans and military personnel stored on a laptop and external drive stolen from the suburban Washington home of a VA employee.
Security experts and some privacy groups say simple measures could protect data if a laptop falls into nefarious hands. They include encrypting the information so it's nearly impossible to access without the correct credentials.
