In the Globe incident, information about more than 200,000 subscribers was inadvertently exposed when the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, a sister publication in Worcester, Mass., reused paper containing names, credit card numbers and bank account information to print routing labels that were attached to newspaper bundles.

In mid-December, H&R Block accidentally embedded Social Security numbers in 47-digit tracking numbers on packages used to mail free copies of its TaxCut software to former clients as part of a marketing campaign. The breach was reported by someone who received a package, and letters were sent to all of the affected individuals on Dec. 22, according to H&R Block spokeswoman Denise Sposato.

The snafu was the result of an "inadvertent human error," Sposato said. H&R Block has completed an investigation into what happened and has fixed the problem, she said, declining to provide further details.