26.5 million veterans' personal information stolen

[allisolm]

Story here or here.

"A computer disk with personal information about millions of U.S. veterans was stolen from the home of a senior Veterans Affairs official, congressional sources said Monday.

The disk contained Social Security numbers, disability ratings and other personal information."

Names, SS # ,DoB for 26.5 million vets is what CNN is saying. Bloomberg says "The data included the names, social security numbers and date of birth of living servicemen discharged since 1975 and some of their spouses."


1-800-FED-info if you're a vet and want more information. They said there was a website also but I didn't get the url. Will post it if I see it.edit for the websites: http://www1.va.gov/opa/ or http://www.firstgov.gov/ .

My husband is a vet who retired after 1975 and I am certainly a spouse 🙁

 

[rhino56]

wow thats a lot of info on one disc

 

[KLin]

Why the hell does a "senior veterans affairs official" have personal info on 26.5 million vets on a disk at their home? :roll:

 

[SilentZero]

Oh great...hope this don't affect me.

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: KLin
Why the hell does a "senior veterans affairs official" have personal info on 26.5 million vets on a disk at their home? :roll:

That is what I am wondering myself.

 

[BobDaMenkey]

Crap that's bad 🙁

 

[Brutuskend]

I got out in '75. 🙁

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: KLin
Why the hell does a "senior veterans affairs official" have personal info on 26.5 million vets on a disk at their home? :roll:

thats the big question.

 

[Brutuskend]

Originally posted by: KLin
Why the hell does a "senior veterans affairs official" have personal info on 26.5 million vets on a disk at their home? :roll:

Nicholson said the employee who took the information home was in violation of the agency's policy and is now on administrative leave.

 

[Feldenak]

Tagged so I can let my dad know.

 

[FoBoT]

D'oh! that would be me, discharged in 1996

 

[markgm]

Seriously, how long until we just do away with social security numbers or stop basing everything off of them? This is getting nuts. Looks like the "thief" knew what he was after. I'm guessing this CD didn't look professional, so who would take a CD when robbing a house? I wonder if they guy sold the info and then said it was stolen so that he wouldn't get in deeper trouble. At least all my family can share in the misery together if anyone does anything with the data.

 

[HBalzer]

Originally posted by: KLin
Why the hell does a "senior veterans affairs official" have personal info on 26.5 million vets on a disk at their home? :roll:

Especially bad if the information was not password protected.

 

[Steve]

Originally posted by: markgm
Seriously, how long until we just do away with social security numbers or stop basing everything off of them? This is getting nuts. Looks like the "thief" knew what he was after. I'm guessing this CD didn't look professional, so who would take a CD when robbing a house? I wonder if they guy sold the info and then said it was stolen so that he wouldn't get in deeper trouble. At least all my family can share in the misery together if anyone does anything with the data.

CD with that much info? I'm thinking maybe more like a hard drive (external?), if not a DVD.

 

[allisolm]

Originally posted by: markgm
Seriously, how long until we just do away with social security numbers or stop basing everything off of them? This is getting nuts. Looks like the "thief" knew what he was after. I'm guessing this CD didn't look professional, so who would take a CD when robbing a house? I wonder if they guy sold the info and then said it was stolen so that he wouldn't get in deeper trouble. At least all my family can share in the misery together if anyone does anything with the data.

For what it's worth, it sounds to me like the person had the information on a disk, probably in the drive of a laptop and the laptop was stolen in a home robbery. Maybe a zip disk and drive?

"an employee took home certain electronic data from the VA, which he was not authorized to do and in violation of VA policies. This data contained identifying information including names, and dates of birth for up to 26.5 million veterans. Unfortunately, the employee's home was burglarized and equipment containing this data was stolen."

 

[markgm]

Originally posted by: sm8000

Originally posted by: markgm
Seriously, how long until we just do away with social security numbers or stop basing everything off of them? This is getting nuts. Looks like the "thief" knew what he was after. I'm guessing this CD didn't look professional, so who would take a CD when robbing a house? I wonder if they guy sold the info and then said it was stolen so that he wouldn't get in deeper trouble. At least all my family can share in the misery together if anyone does anything with the data.

CD with that much info? I'm thinking maybe more like a hard drive (external?), if not a DVD.

You could be right, it doesn't say either way. That's almost worse if they let a database like this be copied in the first place.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Is anyone here actually surprised? Seriously, there is really little that we can do with so many organizations having our data.

Oh, and most vets are already getting screwed by the VA, so this is just one more thing.

 

[BrokenVisage]

I'm sure he just misplaced it one night while filling up his prune juice in the kitchen.

 

[allisolm]

CNN just had a story. I didn't get it all, but they've recovered the laptop and apparently none of the information was accessed.

Guess I can rachet back on the DEFCON level now.

CNN link.