Laptop with Armstrong worker data stolen

updated 7:24 p.m. ET July 26, 2006

LANCASTER, Pa. - A laptop stolen from a payroll auditor contains personal information on 12,000 current and former Armstrong World Industries Inc. employees, the company said.

The data include home addresses and phone numbers, Social Security numbers and how much the people were paid. A two-page letter sent by Armstrong last week said the company was not aware of any misuse of the information, and that a password was required to access the information on the computer.

The laptop was stolen from a locked car belonging to a Deloitte & Touche LLP employee, Armstrong said. Deborah G. Harrington, a spokeswoman for the consulting firm, declined to comment.

Armstrong advised employees to watch their bank accounts, credit cards, bills and financial statements for signs of unusual transactions. It also suggested that for three months they place a fraud alert on their credit files.

Lancaster-based Armstrong makes flooring, ceilings and cabinets.

Armstrong spokeswoman Dorothy Brown Smith did not reply to a voice mail message seeking comment Wednesday.

There have been a number incidents in recent months involving sensitive information stored on laptops that have been lost or stolen. Earlier this year, a notebook PC with information on 26.5 million veterans and active-duty troops was swiped from the home of a Veterans Affairs analyst in Maryland. The machine was later recovered.

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