Luxury Data Breach: Neiman Marcus loses social security numbers, birth dates, and salaries for 160k employees

I still don't know why companies allow highly sensitive information belonging to their employees and customers to be stored on laptop computers.  Haven't organizations learned the painful lessons of data breaches and the potential for id fraud when information stored on laptop computers is either lost or stolen?

The latest retailer to commit a cardinal sin of information security in storing sensitive personal information on 160,000 employees is the luxury retailer Neiman Marcus.  The stolen laptop belonging to a Neiman Marcus consultant, contained the names, date of birth, social security number, AND salaries!  This is inexcusable for Neiman Marcus to allow this data loss/theft to occur.

The investor groups Texas Pacific Group and Warburg Pincus LLC who acquired The Neiman Marcus Group in October 2005 should strongly reprimand the senior and operational management of The Neiman Marcus Group for allowing this data loss/breach to occur under their watch. 

My sympathies to the 160,000 affected employees of Neiman Marcus. 

Press release from Neiman Marcus
http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/irol/11/118113/nmi_PressRel_070424.pdf

Neiman Marcus loses data on 160K employees - MSNBC
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18298006/