Marks & Spencer has become the latest large organisation embroiled in an identity theft-related security flap.
A laptop containing salary details, addresses, dates of birth, national insurance and phone numbers of some 26,000 employees has been stolen from a printing firm, which was tasked with the job of writing to workers about pension changes. M&S wrote to all staff whose names were on the laptop, warning them of the risk and offering free credit checks as a result.
It"s unclear if any of the data has fallen into the hands of crooks. It may be the thief was just an opportunist looking for free hardware.
News of the theft, which emerged over the weekend, follows similar security flaps at the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust, Nationwide Building Society, the Metropolitan Police, Serco, and others.