But the severity of the situation goes deeper. According to the FTC, the database contains not only names and addresses of toysmart customers but also family profile information, including the names and ages of children. For most e-businesses, exposing any portion of their customers' personal information would mean disaster for all involved. To that end, officials at the Washington-based company have drafted a data privacy policy that all workers must sign as a condition of employment. At AutoNation Inc., FastTrack company No. 19, officials have moved all customer data onto a separate network from the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., company's corporate network, which is accessible from the public Internet.
Privacy is so important that even the government is getting more involved.
In May, the FTC called on Congress to pass legislation guaranteeing consumers' online data privacy rights. All Rights Reserved.