Data theft affects 26.5 million veterans.
By on May 22nd, 2006 at 1:55 pm
Data theft affects 26.5 million veterans.
“Personal data, including Social Security numbers of 26.5 million U.S. veterans, was stolen from a Veterans Affairs employee this month after he took the information home without authorization. … The theft of stolen information comes as the department has come under criticism for shoddy accounting practices and for falling short on the needs of veterans.”
UPDATE: The data theft appears to impact all military veterans.
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Basic question: Does 26.5 million = ALL vets?
Just wondering.
(Unhappy either way.)
May 22nd, 2006 at 2:00 pm(Found an answer to my question at #1: The material represents personal data of all living veterans who served and have been discharged since 1976, according to the department. The information was included the veterans’ discharge summary that goes into a government database.)
May 22nd, 2006 at 2:08 pmOh boy does any agency in DC not have corruption or thievery?
May 22nd, 2006 at 2:15 pmJust ask the NSA what happened to the records.
May 22nd, 2006 at 2:18 pmIsn’t anyone watching over anything in DC?
May 22nd, 2006 at 2:22 pmOh, yes, silly me, they’re watching over all of us!
May 22nd, 2006 at 2:23 pmOur government, our agencies are as good as our politicians.
Shoddy leadership = shoddy government.
It is our government. It should be us working together.
May 22nd, 2006 at 2:24 pmNow we learn the VA is just as poorly run as agencies like, say FEMA. What is the best way to deal with troubling agencies: abolish them. Ok, I’ll getting way too cynical for my own good. But that was the first thought concerning
May 22nd, 2006 at 2:25 pm
Oh, that’s nice.
So, not only has this Administration compromised my country, they compromised my identity. It’s days like these that I question why I bothered to serve.
May 22nd, 2006 at 2:31 pmA couple of things, in no particular order:
1: Why do I smell Watergate-break-in?
2: I take it that this is not a matter of them claiming that they now don’t have the data. If they do, I would like to know how their data backup procedures work.
3: Did this data include the missing source documents mentioned in the article, or was it just computer data?
4: Is this a failure the result of a flaw in their internal control system, or the result of the staff heads simply not paying any attention to internal controls? Is this the only time when unauthorised data has left the Department buildings?
5: Should the auditors demand to get the right to search the houses of all of the department’s employees who could have taken documents home, for the missing documentation mentioned in the article?
May 22nd, 2006 at 2:59 pm#9 – Citizen80203,
May 22nd, 2006 at 2:59 pmYou served because you did not have more important things to do – ask Dick about that one.
26.5 million files…..that’s one BIG disk.
May 22nd, 2006 at 3:19 pmAnd to think that Bush’s supporters trust the NSA when they say, “Oh, but we aren’t actually listening to conversations. We’re only interested in looking at who you called.”
To that I say…HA!
May 22nd, 2006 at 3:44 pmAnn it probably was an external hard drive or a laptop…
May 22nd, 2006 at 4:06 pmBefore bashing the VA, please RE-read the article.
This was the act of a single individual. Let’s focus our anger appropriately, please.
For the conspiracy theorists:
2.5 million records on a single DVD is not unusual or unlikely by today’s technology standards.
As to comments regarding the VA’s ability to care for it’s veterans, read the recent laudatory article in Fortune magazine, please.
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/05/15/8376846/
On May 11, 2006:
“Veterans’ hospitals used to be a byword for second-rate care or worse. Now, thanks to technology, they’re national leaders in efficiency and quality.”
I too, am outraged – but dismantling an underfunded agency when we have thousands of returning Vets who NEED tha VA, is not a wise course of action.
Let’s all calm down.
A human error of this nature means there is a culture of ignorance regarding computer security. As a 20 year VA employee, I can attest that this is the case.
At the heart of VA security is the ISO – Information Security Officer.
Determine what number of these personnel have security credentials – CISSP.
(certified information systems security professional)
That is where the fault lies.
May 22nd, 2006 at 4:12 pmI assure you.
It was probably an NSA job. Can’t have too much data.
May 22nd, 2006 at 4:16 pmOh boy that it, from now on I am voting for nothing but Democrats! Right after Sandy Burglar tells us what he stole from the National Archives. Get a grip.
May 22nd, 2006 at 4:24 pmI guess the chickenhawk republicans in Congress aren’t too concerned since not many of them are military veterans….
May 22nd, 2006 at 4:25 pm#15 & #17 – I’m curious about your lack of concern. If you don’t want to assign blame, that’s fine with me, but I would think you might be concerned that part of the data theft might be YOUR information. Quite frankly, I’m a little surprised at your attitude.
May 22nd, 2006 at 4:34 pmMike Carrick
How do you know? Read the article, the question of how that data moved out of the office wasn’t asked, and until that is asked, and a proper audit on their internal controls governing data security is done, nobody will ever know.
May 22nd, 2006 at 4:38 pm#17
Funny thing about Sandy Berger’s trip to the National Archives. An archive employee reportedly saw Sandy stuff documents into his clothing and then did nothing to prevent him from leaving the building. Not that it changes the story, but still it is interesting.
Law enforcement sources said archive staff members told FBI agents they saw Berger placing items in his jacket and pants, and one archive staffer told agents that Berger also placed something in his socks.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/07/20/berger.probe/index.html
May 22nd, 2006 at 5:11 pmFYI I work for the Democrat Controlled State of California and everyone had their personal data exposed. Wasn’t an D or R thing it was an S thing (for stupidty). if you can only look at the world in terms of R’s and D’s then you will have a pretty bleak life so just grow up.
May 22nd, 2006 at 5:14 pmFYI I work for the Democrat Controlled State of California
Comment by Retired Republican Soldier — May 22, 2006 @ 5:14 pm
Isn’t your Gov. a guy named Arnold?
May 22nd, 2006 at 5:27 pm#22 – I don’t care who runs what or where. You have been exposed to possible identity theft, and you don’t seem to care. If someone ruins your credit rating, that really means something. If you don’t care, then, whatever…
May 22nd, 2006 at 5:53 pmClif, The guy running the system was appointed by Davis.
Zoo, YOU can call the credit companies and put a lock on your SSN. That way nobody can use it.
P.S. The part that gets me is the military records data. I wonder if we will finally get to know what is in JF Kerry’s records? That should be good reading, three months and fruit salad that would choke a horse? Audey Murphy watch out!
May 22nd, 2006 at 6:15 pmRRS you conviently forgot the YEAR on a destroyer in vietnam..instead of coking up and flying obsolete planes defending the Gulf of Mexico from the viet cong
May 22nd, 2006 at 6:23 pmClif, I read the verbiage used to justify his SS and others. I have Commendation medals with more meat in them. Believe what you want but I didn’t read anything coming anywhere close to justifying a Silver Star. Hell just find ANY other SS write up and compare the deeds/outcome tell me that his write ups weren’t fluffed up. As for Lt Bush flying a F-102s, I suggest you fly in one before you judge the man’s mettle. Not exactly a plane for the faint of heart and not one that an ANG commander would let someone fly who was presumed to be drunk, on drugs, or didn’t have his shit squared away.
May 22nd, 2006 at 7:32 pmWhat were the odds that something like this could happen?!? An employee of the VA does an incredibly stupid thing, forbidden by the rules, and takes the private data of about 26.5 MILLION veterans home with him. WHY??? And, omygawd, a burglar breaks into his house, and steals the data!! Wow, THAT is really an amazing string of events. Does anyone know what else was taken in the ‘robbery’? Could be important!!
May 22nd, 2006 at 7:40 pmzSorry since you were not there and are basing you opinion on READING the medal accounts you lost all credibility…go back to the bush dick sucking swift boaters that is what you really are, as you revealed yourself to be.
May 22nd, 2006 at 7:40 pmSo, in other words, somebody stole the military records of the democrats, because we all know the chickenhawks don’t sign up, therefore cannot be veterans.
May 22nd, 2006 at 8:27 pm#9, I served because I was drafted. I should have burned my draft card instead.
May 22nd, 2006 at 8:38 pmActually Spudge according to the 2004 exit polls 57% of the veterans voted for bush where 42% voted for Kerry. Since Bush pulled 93% of the republican vote, it seems that a majority of Veterans are Republican.
Also if that isn’t the case, why was there such a push by Bush for the overseas military votes and such a push to disqualify them by the Gore camp?
May 22nd, 2006 at 8:47 pmOur identities are being sold not stolen. A credit report these days isn’t worth the toilet paper I use to wipe my ass.
26 million veterans identities have been sold. You know how many others have been sold? Pick up a newspaper or log on, everyday our identities are being sold.
May 22nd, 2006 at 10:56 pmCredit reports are inaccurate and are nearly impossible to clean up when your identity is sold. They are no longer credibile . They should be outlawed.
This is a quote from a GAO report to congress dated 2-1-06:
“VA lacked a methodology for making the health care management efficiency savings assumptions reflected in the President’s budget requests for fiscal years 2003 through 2006 and, therefore, was unable to provide us with any support for those estimates. VA officials told us that the management efficiency savings assumed in these requests were savings goals used to reduce requests for a higher level of annual appropriations in order to fill the gap between the cost associated with VA’s projected demand for health care services and the amount the President was willing to request.â€
The shoddy accounting practices VA is being criticized for are simply lies they were forced to tell congress to cover up for the Bush administration’s deliberate underfunding of veteran’s health care for the last 4 years. All this while sending vets into harm’s way. What a disgrace!
May 23rd, 2006 at 12:33 amStupidity is not an exclusive of either political party, never has been, never will be. Many Vets (like myself) were discharged prior to 1976 so obviously not all Veterans records were compromised. Other than D.O.B. and S.S. #’s, exactly what data was on the disc/computer?
We can be thankfull that this was not a portable with Top Secret War PLans or whatever, idiots have lost those in the past. Sounds like a mountain range from an ant hole!
Please note, No Such Agency can direct access the computer records, they have no need to pick up a disc. Just accept that it’s stupidity, not a conspiracy.
May 23rd, 2006 at 2:03 amWell veterans should probably expect their Social Security numbers to be used by illegal immigrants now > actually the only reason someone would want to steal that information! They will sell false identity cards to those crossing the Mexican border and it’s possible that some terrorists might benefit as well?!
May 23rd, 2006 at 9:17 amIsn’t is curious how many companies have suddenly lost millions of customer private information and now the VA has lost millions of it’s members records. It seems every month another company has somehow lost it’s members vital information, and the funny part is, the methods how it’s been stolen, are incrediable simple, stolen laptops which someone just happened to be carrying around and conviniently sat down to be picked up by a crook. Or taken home and just happened to be stolen out of a person’s home. Question: Did this person loss anything else from their home or just classified information? I smell a pattern and it’s doesn’t smell like roses. Becoming too coincidental, and seems to span the beginning of Dubya’s second term. Am I nuts to think conspiracy?
May 23rd, 2006 at 11:03 amI’m sure it was someones Liberal retarted cousin, they let have a job with the VA
:)
May 23rd, 2006 at 2:40 pmRRS. You can’t justify your condescension to Kerry’s military qualifications, yet someone puts down Savior Bush and you gotta problem ?
And as for your attitude about US taking care of our credit reports because the VA screwed up (yes, the V.A. screwed up), why exactly is this MY or OUR responsibility now ? I was doing just fine with my credit and identity until the V.A. let my personal info walk out the door. Yeah, and I’m pissed. So keep your patronizing attitude to yourself, or YOU can ante up the funds to pay for my credit reports and monitoring since the V.A. SCREWED UP.
May 23rd, 2006 at 3:02 pmRRS,did we ever see the entire SRB of Commander Codpiece Bush? A dental chart is all that was produced for all the months of Gungs Din Bush protecting Firebase Montgomery.But in the world of pea-brain suckups like yourself,a Dental Chart compares to the Medal of Honor,doesn’t it Retired Republican Soldier?
May 23rd, 2006 at 4:41 pmI’m a medically retired Marine and I don’t ever recall hearing,reading any orders that you have to identify your political party when stating that your’re a retired military veteran.In closing, RRS why didn’t your swashbuckling hero report for his Flight Medical?
I believe he was screwed up, snorting coke,drinking booze and sleeping around with his homo lovers,That’s what I believe about your hero!
wha??
May 24th, 2006 at 5:37 pmoh for crap’s sake. raise your hand if you’ve never taken home work. this was a FREAK ACCIDENT, not freaking Watergate. yeah, it sucks. yeah, I’m worried because I have family members whose data was probably in there. but SHEESH. It was just one stupid pencil pusher who took home one little pen drive and it ended up being in the house when the house was robbed. It wasn’t the target of the robbery. It wasn’t a conspiracy. You people are so freaking paranoid.
May 24th, 2006 at 7:32 pmIs there a way to find out if my name and information was included in the data that was stolen? It would be sure nice to know before I start spinnig my wheels. I can understand how something like then could happen because of the lack of physical security at the VA headquarters building. They use contract guards while at the 170 VA Hospitals the employee federal police officers.
May 24th, 2006 at 11:59 pm