Stolen laptops - Why delay in telling public?

The theft of laptop computers on June 5 from the offices of Bord Gáis raises serious issues. There was sensitive financial information on up to 75,000 customers on one of the computers and this information was not encrypted.

Customers involved would have changed their electricity accounts from the ESB to Bord Gáis as part of the Big Switch campaign. Details included names, addresses, account numbers, bank sort codes and other information that criminals could use to withdraw money from the accounts of those people.

Although the Data Protection Commissioner’s office was informed promptly of the theft, it was not until a week later that it was notified that the information was not encrypted on one of the computers.