A hacker has stolen personal data on 27,000 employees at 1,900 companies worldwide from payroll processing firm Ceridian Corp.

"Ceridian said a hacker attacked its Internet payroll system Dec. 22 and 23," writes StarTribune.com's Steve Alexander. "Spokesman Keith Peterson said the breach was reported to the FBI and local authorities immediately, but affected consumers weren't notified until this week that they were at financial risk."

"The breach, which affected its Powerpay payroll system, affects less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the employees for whom Ceridian provides payroll services," Alexander writes.

Click here to read the StarTribune.com article.