This news really made my Friday afternoon...
I'm one of those folks who really tries to take care, not to provide identity thieves with easy pickings. I routinely shred letters and anything with my name, address or other useful details on them, and although I probably could be even more careful, I do my best not to give this info to just anyone.
And then on Friday, I received the email from Touchnote (whom I have used a couple of times in the past to send postcards), and I wonder why I bothered. I feel like asking: what is the point of guarding one's personal information, if all it takes is one bunch of muppets who don't bother encrypting* most of their customers' valuable details, getting virtual-ram-raided, and it's suddenly all out there for the taking?
I'm also now wondering: how many other websites who have my personal data stored, have a similarly cavalier attitude to it? I think I'm long overdue for an audit of which sites I have accounts with, but rarely or never use any more... and time to start closing them.
Maybe I might start with Touchnote... but the burglars are over the hills now with their loot, so what would be the point?
* - This, BTW, is also why I'm keeping a nervous eye on the future of encryption in the UK.