Bart Lazar Quoted in Computerworld
"How to Avoid 5 Common Storage Mishaps"

Bart Lazar was quoted in the February 9, 2009 issue of Computerworld in the article, "How to Avoid 5 Common Storage Mishaps." The article reported on the five most common types of data breaches and how to avoid them. Bart noted that incidents involving lost or stolen laptops make up the majority of the data-breach cases that he works on. He recommended that companies should restrict the placement of personal identifying information on laptops. For example, companies should not tie customer or employee names to identifiers, such as Social Security or credit card numbers. Bart suggested creating unique identifiers by combining letters from an individual's last name with the last four digits of their Social Security number. He added that companies should require personal information on laptops to be encrypted, despite the potential cost and the effect on performance. He also recommended policies to be in place requiring very strong passwords to protect data on stolen devices. 

Additionally, Bart noted that companies should implement role-based access-control tools to maintain a high level of accountability over who is accessing valuable assets. "How many people, on a daily basis, need to review Social Security numbers and addresses without permission?" he posed. "Personal information should be protected at the same level as trade secrets," Bart concluded.