In a staggering addendum to the news last week that four Bank of Ireland laptops containing 10,000 customer details have been stolen since last summer, it has emerged that the details on the laptops related to a total of 31,500 customers in a number of principal towns across Ireland.
Bank of Ireland enlisted KPMG to review the process it used to determine the extent of customer data held on the four stolen laptops, and it was revealed that details relating to 31,500 policies, policy applications and a small number of mortgage customers were contained on the stolen laptops.
A “breakdown in procedure” was blamed for the revelation that the four laptops had been stolen since last summer and not reported to senior management at the bank.
The branches affected by the theft were Drogheda and Dunleer in Co Louth, Bagnelstown and Court Place in Co Carlow and Stephen’s Green, Tallaght and Montrose in Co Dublin.
Now, according to the bank, customers from additional branches affected include Bray, Ardee, Arva, Ashbourne, Athboy, Cavan, Bailieborough, Cootehill, Ballybay, Dunboyne, Carrickmacross, Ballyjamesduff, Oldcastle, Kells, Navan, Trim, Kill O’The Grange, Blackrock, Dun Laoghaire, Talbot Street, Greystones and Kingscourt.
The bank said it has briefed the Financial Services Regulator as well as the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner and promised to co-operate fully with the latter’s investigation.
The bank also said it is issuing letters to all customers outlining the kind of personal data that was on the computers and promised that in the “unlikely event” of a fraud arising as a direct result of the theft of the laptops, the customer affected will be fully compensated.
The bank says that as of now all Bank of Ireland Life laptops are fully encrypted and all laptops in the group will be encrypted by the end of May.
By John Kennedy
