Morrisons Employees Could Have Been Affected By Theft Of Data

There is no doubt that many of us have had a moan or two about our employer now and again. This is natural in everyday life and it will be very rare for someone not to have moaned about work at least in their life. In fact, there will be plenty of people that moan about their work every single day. However, in the current economic climate, many people understand how fortunate they are to be in gainful employment and there is a lot to be said for having the opportunity to go out and work.

There are still expectations that an employee has from their company though. They expect to be paid on time, they expect to have a level of care applied to them and they should certainly expect all of their information and personal details to be kept safely. This is a major issue for many employees of Morrisons stores across the country. This is due to the fact that close to 100,000 employees of the company has been potentially compromised due to a theft of data. Personal and bank details have been stolen from the firm and details have been posted online, which could see many of these employees affected at risk of further fraudulent activity or other crimes.

Even after the firm sent out an email to all employees informing them of the data theft, it is believed that information relating to bank account details, addresses and names can all still be found on a website. The email from Morrisons stated that the company found out on Thursday the 13th of March that there had been a compromise in the data of the system which is utilised to maintain the payroll of the employees. The firm learned that the information contained in this system had been placed online and had also been provided to a newspaper. In this sort of crime, you often wonder if it is an ex-employee or someone that has a grudge against Morrisons that has acted in this manner.

The Firm says that External Penetration was not to Blame

The firm states that in an initial investigation that has been carried out, the theft cannot be traced to penetration from an external source. The firm has been quick to point out that customer data has not been compromised in any way, shape or form and the firm has promised that no employee will be financial disadvantaged because of this crime. The firm has also promised to help every employee, affected or not, to remain safe and to improve their security levels.

The supermarket company, which is ranked as the fourth largest supermarket chain in the United Kingdom has stated that they are working with the police and cybercrime authorities to ensure that the investigation is properly carried out and that all attempts are made to capture the person or people responsible for this crime.

All Major Employers should take this as a Warning

The fact that the company is such a sizable employer around the country means that many people are likely to be affected by this sort of breach. You can also see that this size and style of country would be one that is very attractive to criminals that have the technology, skill and experience to undertake this style of crime. When so much important data can be accessed in a short space of time and through just one system, it is easy to see why so many criminals will be looking to make an impact of this nature.

While other supermarkets and major employers around the country will be looking at this news and being thankful it affects someone else and not them, this is not the time to be complacent or smug about what has taken place. The fact that the potential for this sort of crime to take place quickly and what seems effortlessly should be a warning to all firms. It may have been Morrisons that has been affected by this sort of crime at this point of time but it could well be any other company next week or next month.

With people committing cybercrimes utilising more advanced technology all the time, there is a need for businesses to remain at the cutting edge with respect to cyber safety and technology.

Andrew Reilly is a freelance writer with a focus on news stories and consumer interest articles. He has been writing professional for 8 years but has been writing for as long as he can care to remember. When Andrew isn’t sat behind a laptop or researching a story, he will be found watching a gig or a game of football.

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