Attorney General Says Bank Of New York Remains Incapable Of Providing Information On Extent Of Security Breach
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today said Bank of New York Mellon has yet to fully determine or disclose any list of companies whose employees, customers and stockholders may be in danger of identity theft after unencrypted Bank of New York Mellon backup computer tapes disappeared from the back of a van in February.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today said Bank of New York Mellon has yet to fully determine or disclose any list of companies whose employees, customers and stockholders may be in danger of identity theft after unencrypted Bank of New York Mellon backup computer tapes disappeared from the back of a van in February.
Blumenthal, who is contact with the New York and New Jersey attorneys general, vowed to continue pressing Bank of New York Mellon for a complete list of affected companies and individuals, and a full accounting of how the tapes were lost. Blumenthal is also working with the state Department of Consumer Protection ( DCP ) to investigate the data breach.
"I have contacted the attorneys general of New York and New Jersey to initiate a tri-state intensive investigation in cooperation with their law enforcement authorities and other states if necessary," Blumenthal said. "Bank of New York Mellon - months after an outrageous security breach - remains unable or unwilling to provide a full accounting of every individual potentially compromised. We have been in constant communication with the company, and have demanded a full list as soon as possible, which they claim they are compiling.
"I'm increasingly troubled and alarmed by the lack of prompt and reliable information about customers and companies whose highly sensitive financial information has been lost. These individuals deserve immediate information and so does law enforcement.
"We have hammered -- and will continue to hammer -- Bank of New York Mellon for an immediate response and for a list of companies and consumers whose personal confidential information may be at risk. The delay in notification is in explicable and totally unacceptable, and possibly a violation of law."
The tapes contained personal information, including Social Security numbers and some account numbers and information, of more than 4.5 million individuals, hundreds of thousands of them Connecticut customers or investors of People's United Bank of Bridgeport.
The tapes also may contain the names of individuals associated with other entities that remain unidentified or undisclosed by Bank of New York Mellon.
Bank of New York Mellon told Blumenthal's office late today - more than three months after the security breach - that they remain in the process of identifying other individuals or entities that may have been compromised by the tape loss.
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