PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND STOLEN GOVERNMENT COMPUTER HOLDS PERSONAL INFORMATION OF CITIZENS A Stolen laptop holds personal info of Atlantic Canadians

Stolen laptop holds personal info of Atlantic Canadians

Last Updated: Friday, November 16, 2007 | 5:20 PM AT

CBC News

A Government of Canada computer was recently stolen from the home of a civil servant in Ottawa, but the effects of the theft are being felt in Atlantic Canada.

The laptop contained the personal information of 1,600 people, mostly Atlantic Canadians. The majority of the people — 1,100 — receive old age pensions. The others affected are their spouses and some government employees.

The stolen computer contains such personal information as social insurance numbers, bank account numbers, birthdates and credit details.

Rose MacDonald of O'Leary, P.E.I., was shocked to receive a letter from Service Canada earlier this week telling her that her information was on the laptop, stolen from one of its employees.

She immediately called the toll-free number provided.

"I asked if the building had been broken into, and he said no, an employee brought the computer home," MacDonald said.

"I said, 'You mean to tell me a Government of Canada employee brought a computer out of a Government of Canada building?' And he said, 'Well, she wasn't supposed to.' "

An internal investigation is taking place to find out exactly how this happened.

The federal Privacy Commission was notified by Service Canada of the theft of the laptop just after Thanksgiving.

Colin McKay, the commission's communications director, said he isn't against employees taking work home with them.

"The question is, are they maintaining the same safeguards when they take it home? We want continuity of security at the office, in the car and at home," McKay said.

But in this case, the employee's home was broken into and the computer was taken.

Service Canada told MacDonald the risk was low that her identity would actually be stolen.

"It looks like there were layers of security applicable to the laptop," McKay said.

"I feel very threatened that my personal information could leave that building," MacDonald said. "They say the risk is low, but to me, any risk at all is too much."

MacDonald said she has notified the two Canadian credit bureaus, plus her bank and credit card companies to watch for any irregular activity on her accounts. "Even if the computer is recovered, it doesn't mean the information isn't out there somewhere. So I guess I can never relax about this."

The Privacy Commission is taking the issue very seriously, McKay said.

He said said the commission is getting full co-operation from Service Canada in its investigation. The commission wants more encryption on employee laptops so personal information can't be accessed.