Standard Life pensions customers at risk due to security breach
November 23, 2007
Thousands of pensions customers at Standard Life could be at risk after a serious breach of security involving the loss of a CD containing personal details on around fifteen thousand customers.
The CD was on its way to the Standard Life head office in Edinburgh from HM Revenue and Customers – sending such information on CD is a routine process. However, the CD went astray enroute when being taken from HMRC by courier service.
According to reports the data on the CD included the names, dates of birth, National Insurance numbers, and pension plan numbers of around fifteen thousand consumers. The CD was sent over five weeks ago, which is when it went missing. However, officials from Standard Life state that there is no evidence that the CD has fallen into the wrong hands.
One official stated: “We have no evidence that the disc has fallen into third party hands and we have also been closely monitoring all the accounts and have seen no indications of any suspicious activity.”
Both HMRC and Standard Life have been slated by consumers because those customers that may have been at risk – the ones whose details were on the CD – were not contacted for over four weeks following the incident. Customers are concerned that there was such a delay between the sensitive information going missing and those concerned being informed.
One customer stated: “This happened at the end of September and it is a month before notification. They are saying that addresses were not on there, but if someone has your surname and date of birth it is not that difficult to track you down.”
In the meantime Standard Life and HMRC officials are warning those concerned to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.
Alan Wright
23rd November 2007
Recent additions:
- Reducing the risk of getting rejected for loans and credit cards
- Bank Keeps Rates On Hold
- Shops may suffer due to decreased credit card spending this Christmas
- No change for interest rates in UK
- Most banks don’t offer best value mortgages
Related Articles
- FSA calls for greater transparency from its members The UK's financial regulator, the Financial Services Authority is calling for increased transparency from its member, and plans to introduce a paper that is designed
- Sky broadband breaks through one million barrier According to a recent report media giant Sky has managed to break through the one million barrier with its broadband service, making it the fastest
- Interest rates stay on hold at 5.75% As widely predicted by many analysts and economists interest rates have remained on hold at 5.75% after November's Monetary Policy Committee meeting. This is the fourth
- Did you close down your Northern Rock ISA The recent turmoil to hit the financial markets in the UK and worldwide has affected many financial companies, and one of the major UK victims
- Regulator fines Norwich Union Life According to a recent report Norwich Union Life has been fined by the UK's financial regulator, the Financial Services Authority, over a major fraud incident
Comments
Got something to say?