Personal information for about 74,000 Coca-Cola employees, former employees and third parties has been stolen from the company, the Herald has learned.
The information, including Social Security numbers and drivers license numbers, was stored in documents on stolen company laptop computers, according to a Coca-Cola spokeswoman. Other information, including compensation, ethnicity and addresses was also taken.
“We take personal information security very seriously, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause,” said company spokeswoman Ann Moore in a statement.
The laptops were taken in December by a "former associate who had been assigned to maintain or dispose of Company equipment," according to a company memo obtained by the Herald. In that memo, company officials said letters are being sent today to about 18,000 current and former employees, along with third parties, whose names were found on the recovered computers. An additional 56,000 letters are being sent to current employees, former employees and others "regarding other sensitive personal information that was on the computers, primarily driver's license numbers," the message said.
Coca-Cola said there is no indication that the information was misused, and will offer free identity-theft protection service to affected employees to “demonstrate an abundance of caution,” Moore said.
