Coca-Cola admitted that several laptop computers containing personal information about 74,000 people were stolen, Boston Herald said Friday, January 24. According to Ann Moore, the company’s spokeswoman, the laptops were stolen by a former employee in charge for maintenance and recycling of all the Coca-Cola equipment in December 2013. The computers contain personal data (Social Security numbers, addresses, driver’s license numbers etc.) of the employees, former employees, and other individuals such as Coke’s contractors and vendors.
As of January 24, 18,000 memos were sent to the Coca-Cola staff in the U.S. and Canada, while the rest 56,000 workers are supposed to be informed in the nearest future.
Ann Moore highlighted that there are no proofs that this sensitive data is in hands of criminals or is going to be misused. Coca-Cola offers to all the security breach victims one year of identity-theft protection services for free.
