Yet another reason to ensure confidential information is always secured. A laptop with GMAC customers NonPublic Private Information, including their names, addresses, dates of birth and Social Security Account Numbers was stored on a laptop and stolen from a vehicle, InformationWeek reported. While this seems to be a random crime and not an attempt to get this information, no one knows where this data will end up. The laptop was password protected, but not encrypted.

GMAC is notifying 200,000 customers that their information may have been compromised.

Lesson Learned: Protection a customers NPPI extends beyond the walls of the bank and the electronic bits and bytes transmitted over the Net. If you allow this data on any type of portable storage device, including laptops, diskettes, CDs, Zip disks, USB thumb drives, etc. have the data protected. Does that make it inconvenient for the user, certainly. But it makes it inconvenient for an unauthorized user as well and it beats licking 200,000 envelopes.