John Hopkins loses payroll data

BALTIMORE, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- John Hopkins University in Baltimore says computer payroll tapes with sensitive information on 52,000 university employees have been lost.

The hospital said a tape with less sensitive information on about 83,000 patients has also disappeared, the Baltimore Sun reported.

Hospital officials say it appears eight backup tapes containing the information were never returned by a contractor who was supposed to put the data on microfiche. They say the tapes most likely have been incinerated.

The hospital said there is no evidence the tapes were stolen or that the data on them has been misused, the newspaper reported.