Backup data makes it onto wrong computer

"Several" workers at the Legacy Village Apple Store in Lyndhurst, Ohio have been fired following an accidental privacy violation, according to a report. Sources note that when a computer is brought in for service by Apple, a standard procedure is used to backup and restore a customer's data; this normally ensures that once a restore is complete, all of the backup data is deleted, preventing leaks of sensitive information. The firings are connected to photos, finances and videos from one customer somehow ending up on another person's Mac.

Sources explain that because the first Mac's backup data was not deleted according to procedure, it was added to the restore for the second, leading to a customer complaint. Subsequent investigation is said to have used surveillance video, which showed that a full 10 workers had not been following the proper backup and restore policy. The people targeted for firing were contacted in person and by phone.

As compensation, both of the Mac owners in the debacle received new Macs, gift cards, and subscriptions to LifeLock, an identify theft protection plan. The sources add however that it is not clear if the affected workers were entirely responsible. It is alleged that they may not have been properly trained for the backup and restore system, which may raise questions about supervisors and store management.

by MacNN Staff