Just an FYI

May 22, 2006
Personal Data of 26.5 Million Veterans Stolen
By DAVID STOUT
WASHINGTON, May 22 — Personal electronic data on up to 26.5 million military veterans, including their Social Security numbers and birth dates, was stolen from the home of a Department of Veterans Affairs employee who had taken the information without authorization, the agency said today.

The department said there was no evidence that any data had been used illegally, and that whoever stole it during a burglary of the employee's home might be unaware of the nature of the information or how to use it. The stolen data does not include any health records or financial information, the agency said.

But it was immediately clear from the sheer numbers involved, as well as the tone of the department's announcement and the steps it has taken since the theft was uncovered, that the information breach has the potential to be deeply embarrassing to the agency and will be very costly.

"As a result of this incident, information identifiable with you was potentially exposed to others," R. James Nicholson, the secretary of veterans affairs, wrote in a letter being sent to the veterans who may be affected. Matt Burns, a department spokesman, said the data involves veterans from all the services who were discharged from about 1975 onward.

Mr. Burns said he could not comment on the motive of the employee who took the information home, and what form it was in. But Congressional sources who have been briefed on the episode said he was a mid-level career employee who lives in Maryland, and that the data was on discs.

Whether the incident is called a security breach or identity theft, it appeared to be one of the biggest of the computer age, according to records kept by the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

The information includes the names of veterans and some spouses, as well as some disability ratings, Mr. Nicholson wrote. He said there was no evidence that any of the information had been misused. He said veterans may call a special phone line or log on to a special Web site for further information.

The agency said the Federal Bureau of Investigation, other law enforcement agencies and the department's own inspector general's office are investigating. Veterans can go to www.firstgov.gov and www.va.gov/opa for further information, the department said.

 

got to love it.. got to love it..

 

Yes, i'm sure you do.

 

haha you are such a ****ing whiny little ***got now a days man seriously


Do you want my **** or something? Whats up with the hard on for me? Do you want me to be your gay anti american love machine or something? For ****s sake man stop trying to paint me as your enemy. If you need someone to hate so be it, i am more then happy to tell you that you are being a ****ing dumb ***. You should know that bey now.

Guess what eric... YOU ARE BEING A ****ING DUMBASS AGAIN

xoxoxoxo's

Dre

 

I seriously have NO idea how you think he's been whinny. You really do make a fair amount of unintelligent and ill-thought out posts.

 

I'm the whiny one? You set yourself up for that one man.

And btw, where's peanut gallery to call dre a homophobe or a racist?

 

Dre you are such a racist homophobe, i hope a big black burly hairy stinky gay black man probes your **** orfices with a poolstick (wonder if that tip would be chalked or not)..

He is being whiny in general towards me not just in this thread but in others.

Never thought the .mil folk would end up being such whiny lil girls about some things.

And i know damn well Eric has a general idea of what i do for a living so he should know that the very incident that happened here is the sort of **** i try and prevent. (or clean up after)