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By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Breach of privacy concern after laptop was stolen which requires it to alert all students affected. In this case, the letter was sent to all students at the board. "When the laptop was stolen, the employee couldn't be 100 per cent sure that all the databases they were working on had all been encrypted," said Marnie Denton, spokesperson for the school board. The laptop was password protected and there was file encryption software on the computer. However, some files on the computer might not have been encrypted. Those files contain student names, schools, student education numbers and EQAO (Education Quality and Accountability Office) testing results. "(The Computer manufacturer) assured us that no one would be able to see information on that computer without the password. 5 · Wednesday, February 8, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com Parents of Halton's public school students have received a letter from Halton District School Board (HDSB) Director David Euale that there recently was a potential breach of student privacy. The breach is said to have occurred earlier this month when a laptop computer was stolen from a board employee. The e-mail notification sent to students' families was sent Friday. The board said it does not believe there was information on the computer that could be harmful to student safety. However, when such a breach of information occurs, the board follows its privacy and information management breach protocol, "The computer manufacturer assured us that no one would be able to see information on that computer without the password." Marnie Denton, spokesperson Halton District School Board The employee did have a nine-digit password," Denton added. The letter from Euale was sent out last week after the laptop computer was stolen the night of Jan. 24. The board sent out the letter to parents a week later, after the IT department determined which files were on the stolen computer. Some files may have had dates of birth. There were no addresses or telephone numbers, Denton said. "The police believe this was a crime of opportunity. It wasn't a deliberate effort to gain information on the laptop because there were other electronic devices stolen at the same time," Denton said. The e-mail sent to parents of Halton's public school students indicated the board has again reviewed its policies regarding file encryption and secure storage, as well as its Breach Protocol procedures. Further steps are being taken to ensure electronic file security, and the Information and Privacy Commission (IPC) has been notified of the situation. Woman killed on Gardiner Expressway former TAB student By Wendy Gillis and Zoe McKnight TORONTO STAR Toronto police are investigating how a 19-year-old former T.A. Blakelock student, in a car travelling on the eastbound Gardiner Expressway, ended up on the road where she was hit by a truck and fatally injured Monday morning. The woman, a passenger in a Toyota Corolla, was struck near Dufferin St. around 2:30 a.m. and taken to hospital, where she later died, said Traffic Services Constable Clint Stibbe. The driver of the Toyota, a 23-year-old woman, and the 40-year-old male driver of the five-tonne truck both remained at the scene and are co-operating with police, who continue to seek witnesses. The victim's name has not been released by police, but friends identified the woman as Katie Traverso. The former T. A. Blakelock High School student was an aspiring actress and bikini model. Photographer Yanki Yuksel recently worked with Traverso on a bikini shoot, and described her as an energetic woman with "an amazing personality" who was pursuing an acting career. Yuksel said he had been texting with Traverso hours before she died. He said he had no idea what could have occurred to cause her death. "This is completely unexpected," Yuksel said. The woman's death prompted an outpouring of grief on Traverso's Facebook wall and on Twitter. With files from Kirsten Parucha and the Oakville Beaver Hear Your Loved Ones - Our Patients Do! Here's what they have been saying: "People have stopped mumbling!" and "I don't have to ask people to repeat any more!" The Oakville Hearing Centre offers the very best in hearing healthcare. We are proud to provide only the highest quality products and services to our clients. Be sure to enter our February Prize Draw* for your chance to win a FREE pair of premium Widex hearing aids! NICOLE CLARK B.A., M.CI.Sc., Reg. CASLPO A proven professional with the expertise to handle your hearing healthcare needs. save up to $1000 ** 1235 Trafalgar Road Suite 207, Oakville Exclusive anniversary offer on select pairs of hearing aids. Visit www.oakvillehearing.com/savings to www.oakvillehearing.com T: 905.849.5894 *The draw will take place at the end of February. **Receive up to $500 in savings if a single aid is purchased. Offer applies on select hearing aids. Offer expires February 29, 2012.