PEORIA, Ill., April 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Caterpillar Inc. today announced the theft of computer equipment from a vendor containing personal identity data of current and former Caterpillar employees. The stolen equipment was owned by a third-party pension benefits plan consultant.
Caterpillar does not believe that the data contained on the stolen vendor computer equipment was the target of the theft or that the information has been accessed or misused.
Caterpillar is identifying and notifying all affected individuals whose personal information was contained on the stolen computer equipment and will provide these individuals with assistance in monitoring their credit reports for unusual activity. The company also has established a call center to answer questions from affected individuals.
"We deeply regret that this incident occurred," said Caterpillar Human Services Division Vice President Sid Banwart. "We are putting in place an enhanced level of protection for this type of personal data, as part of our commitment to ensure the security of information that is entrusted to us. We take data privacy seriously, and we are committed to implementing additional safeguards regarding the handling of employee information by our vendors."
For more than 80 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making progress possible and driving positive and sustainable change on every continent. With 2006 sales and revenues of $41.517 billion, Caterpillar is the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines. The company also is a leading services provider through Caterpillar Financial Services, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services, Caterpillar Logistics Services and Progress Rail Services. More information is available at http://www.cat.com/.
