Shared Computers and Idiots

I'm in NYC right now and got upgraded to a nicer hotel room at the Westin Times Square that included an iMac. I didn't use the computer, but bumped the mouse on the desk and saw a few things on the desktop that surprised me:

  • Confidential board meeting minutes for a $160 million law firm headquartered in NYC.
  • Legal proceedings between two companies engaged in a private compliance dispute over a potential security breach and subsequent audit (and arguments over who should pay for the audit)
  • An audio file with a voice mail from an HR professional to an executive to discuss compensation concerns

I'm not kidding. There were email addresses, names, phone numbers, and sample data from the breach. I deleted all the files and emptied the trash. If someone was serious about finding the data they could, but at least it is no longer sitting on the desktop.

Updated:

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