A Pfizer Inc. employee who installed unauthorized file-sharing software on a company laptop provided for use at her home has exposed the Social Security numbers and other personal data belonging to about 17,000 current and former employees at the drug maker.
Of that group, about 15,700 individuals actually had their data accessed and copied by an unknown number of persons on a peer-to-peer network, the company said in letters sent to affected employees and to state attorneys general alerting them of the breach.
Pfizer officials could not be immediately reached for comment. But copies of the letters were posted on several sites, including Pharnalot, a blog covering the pharmaceutical industry.
The incident has prompted an investigation by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal; some 305 Pfizer employees in that state were affected by the breach. In a June 6 letter, Blumenthal asked Pfizer to provide details on the measures in place prior to the breach to protect against data compromises, when the company discovered the breach and how it responded.
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