Gap Job Applicant Data Stolen

If you’ve been job hunting over the last year, hopefully you haven’t put in an application at the Gap.   The company has said that a laptopcontaining unencrypted data, including around 800,000 job applications it had received between July 2006 and this July and covering the US, Canada and Puerto Rico, had been stolen from one of itsvendors. They’ve also admitted that the applications could well include employment histories and social security numbers, although it’s believed Canadian applicants did not have theirSocial Insurance numbers stolen.   The company would not name the vendor involved, although it said that under an agreement, the vendor should have encrypted the data. The Gap learned of thetheft on September 19.   It’s sending letters to all those whose data is at risk, and is offering a year of credit monitoring and fraud resolution services free of charge to all those whowere affected.   "We’re reviewing the facts and circumstances that led to this incident closely, and will take appropriate steps to help prevent something like this from happeningagain," Gap Chief Executive Glenn Murphy said in a statement.   The company is investigating the theft. Those affected applied at stores owned by the company, including Old Navy, BananaRepublic, Gap and Outlet.