A laptop computer belonging to a private contractor and containing confidential and personal health information of 652 Washington state Department of Social and Health Services clients was stolen and later recovered in Gig Harbor, Wash.
Dr. Sunil Kakar, owner of the computer, discovered it stolen Feb. 4 in Gig Harbor. Ten days later, police found it in a local pawn shop.
The computer's files contained names; identification numbers; psychological evaluations, including notes and reports with diagnoses; dates of birth; the last four digits of Social Security numbers; dates of services; and addresses.
Though the laptop was password-protected, and, according to a news release, there is no evidence that its files were accessed by unauthorized users, the clients of the department's economic services administration have been informed of the breach and provided with suggestions to guard against identity theft.
“While there is no information to show that the stolen data has been accessed or used for identity theft, I am erring on the side of caution and notifying every person who might be affected,” Kakar said in a letter to the clients.
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