UPS forced to encrypt devices after data breach

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UPS, the parcel service and global transportation business, has encrypted all of its British laptops and smartphones after it breached the Data Protection Act last year.

It has also signed an ‘undertaking’ with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), promising that it will keep personal information more securely.

It comes less than a year after an incident where an unencrypted password-protected laptop was stolen from a UPS employee while abroad. It was never recovered.

It contained the payroll information of around 9,000 British UPS employees, together with confidential data including names, addresses, dates of birth, national insurance numbers, salary and bank details.

“Password protected laptops are not secure. I urge all organisations to restrict the amount of personal information that is taken off secure sites,” said assistant information commissioner Mick Gorrill in a statement.

The ICO said that the UPS was also updating its security policies and making changes to protect personal information better than it has done.

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