The names, addresses and phone numbers of 560 students were stolen from an employee of a school bus company, the Edmonton Catholic School District said Monday.
The personal information was on a computer memory stick that went missing when the woman's purse and car were stolen last week. Bus carrier R.L. Smith Transportation said an employee took the stick home every night for safekeeping.
Edmonton's Catholic school board has asked its five bus companies to tighten security after the personal data of 560 students was stolen.
(CBC)
"Just in case anything happened with the computer in the office, in case there was a power surge or a fire. It was just for backup," said company president Gordon Mayes.
Edmonton police are investigating after the car was recovered, but not the purse and its contents. Mayes said the woman worked in the office and has since quit.
The breach involved the data of 560 students at 23 Catholic schools, most with special needs. The school board has asked its five bus companies to tighten security.
"We have made sure that all carriers have been notified that personal information is not to be taken off site," said spokeswoman Lori Nagy.
R.L. Transportation has changed its policy, now storing its memory sticks in a locked safe inside a cabinet and adding a password to access any of that information.
Despite the new measures, some parents are still worried.
"I hope that stick is just out there destroyed. Somebody didn't know what it was and just threw it away," said Marjorie Adams, whose daughter has been using the buses for three years. "It's kind of worrisome for us parents I guess."
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