A laptop computer stolen from a Philadelphia office of Hilb, Rogal and Hobbs exposed 1,243 students, faculty and staff of Villanova University to the possibility of identity theft.
The theft, which took place in late September, occurred during an office break-in, a spokeswoman for the Richmond, Va.-based insurance brokerage firm said.
The laptop contained the names, birth dates and driver license numbers of individuals who are authorized to drive university vehicles at Villanova, which is a client of HRH.
Liz Cougot, HRH spokeswoman, said in an e-mail that there was no evidence to suggest the theft was for the information in the computer or that the information was accessed and used.
The computer, which is password-protected, was reported stolen to police as soon as it was discovered, and disabled from accessing the firm's servers, Ms. Cougot said. The broker then contacted Villanova to advise it of the theft and work with the school to notify those affected.
HRH said it notified the three nationally recognized credit bureaus–Equifax, Experian and TransUnion–of the theft.
The broker also has arranged to offer the affected individuals a free 12-month membership with Equifax Credit Watch, a credit monitoring service, which includes up to $20,000 identity fraud expense coverage for each person who may be affected.
For its part, Kenneth Valosky, vice president, finance for Villanova University, located just outside of Philadelphia in Villanova, Pa., said the school has "worked closely with Hilb, Rogal and Hobbs to determine the appropriate notification requirements."
He said the school sent a letter along with a letter from HRH on Oct. 26 explaining what had happened. He said the school is not aware of any misuse of information since the theft.
Mr. Valosky said the incident would not have a detrimental effect on its relationship with HRH, which handles most of the school's insurance placement.
"Hilb, Rogal and Hobbs was the victim of a criminal act and this is not a reflection on the service Villanova receives" from the firm, commented Mr. Valosky.
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