100 Million Victims of Data Theft

jcatcw writes "With the latest significant data breach — theft of a Boeing laptop with unencrypted personal information on 382,000 employees — the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse estimates that the total number of data breach victims has passed 100 million since they started tracking in February 2005. The director, Beth Givens, admits 'the number 100 million is largely a fictional number,' but it surely errs on the low side. Since California is still the only state with disclosure laws, incidents are difficult to analyze fully. However, Congress this week passed a bill requiring that the Department of Veterans Affairs report breaches."

I don't trust the article

[BadAnalogyGuy]

How can you trust the article when they make the outlandish claim that Boeing makes laptops. They make airplanes, silly.

Re:We need to think how transactions are processed

[AoT]

Yeah, there's that problem; and also the fact that it is 100M known victims of identity theft.

On a side note, why is it that I get all these credit card offers from companies whom already have my SSN, I know you got it guys, and they tell me I'm "pre-approved" for credit, and yet I have to send all this info in?

Come on big brother! If'n you're going to know everything about me please dont make me fill out all the damn forms in triplicate!

another announcement

[ILuvRamen]

the strangely named "Privacy Rights Clearinghouse" has just announced that they'll be showing up at one lucky person's house with a giant check with all 100 million pieces of personal data written on it in a really, really small font. I hope I win it!

Yeah, But when they do...

[Anonymous Coward]

....They'll really fly!

I dunno

[BadAnalogyGuy]

Do you really think they'll take off?

Re:I dunno

[MarkRose]

I predict they'll be a flying success!