Gap says laptop with applicant data stolen

The Gap said Friday that a laptop containing personal information of about 800,000 job applicants was stolen from a third party vendor.

The vendor, which wasn't named, manages job applicant data for the Gap.

According to the Gap, affected applicants that had Social Security numbers on the laptop are being contacted. The Gap is also offering them free credit monitoring services, fraud resolution assistance and a helpline. Gap has also created a site and an FAQ detailing the incident.

Here's the problem as outlined by the Gap:

Personal data for approximately 800,000 people who applied online or by phone for store positions at one of Gap Inc.'s brands between July 2006 and June 2007 was contained on the stolen laptop. Contrary to the company's agreement with the vendor, the information on the laptop was not encrypted. The company has no reason to believe the data contained on the computer was the target of the theft or that the personal information has been accessed or used improperly.

Most of the affected applicants were applying to work at Old Navy, said the Gap.

Gap says it uses more than one vendor to manage job applicant data so not everyone that applied is affected. The vendor called local law enforcement as soon as it discovered the missing laptop.

With any luck, Gap will go with its other vendors that can secure laptops. It's bewildering given all of the stolen laptop incidents that data still goes unencrypted.