Manage updates with the Download App
Stolen Home Depot laptop exposes employee data
Laptop with names, addresses and Social Security numbers of employees is stolen from the car of a Home Depot regional manager.
Correction, 8:22 a.m. PST: The original version of this article inaccurately reported the timing of the theft. The laptop was stolen several weeks ago.
A laptop containing personal data on about 10,000 Home Depot employees was stolen from the car of a regional manager, Home Depot announced Wednesday.
The laptop was stolen several weeks ago from the car of the regional manager in Massachusetts while it was parked in front of his home, according to Home Depot.
"The Home Depot takes data security seriously and works very diligently to protect its customers' and associates' privacy," said Sarah Molinari, corporate communications manager for Home Depot. "We continually work to upgrade and improve our data security and privacy systems."
While the password-protected computer contained no customer information, the names, addresses and Social Security numbers of the Home Depot employees may have been compromised. Home Depot is providing free credit-monitoring services to the exposed employees as a result.
Atlanta-based Home Depot would not say whether the files containing the employee data were encrypted.
"We continue to cooperate with the authorities in this matter and cannot discuss the specifics of our data protection measures," Molinari said.
