Posted on 02/10/2009 6:53:20 AM PST by BulletBobCo
IDG News Service — Personal data belonging to more than 45,000 employees and retirees of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was stolen after hackers broke into a computer server, the agency said Monday.
Two of the 48 files on the server contained personal data for those on the agency's employee rolls for the first week of February 2006, the FAA said. Those affected will be notified by letter, and law enforcement has been contacted.
The breach did not affect air traffic control or other operational systems, the FAA said.
"The FAA is moving quickly to prevent any similar incidents and has identified immediate steps as well as longer-term measures to further protect personal information," according to a statement.
The FAA is the latest U.S. government agency to be affected by a data breach, incidents of which have been increasing by the year as hackers successfully target servers with weak security. Other causes include the loss or theft of laptops containing unencrypted information.
The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) said in January that more than 35 million data records were breached in 2008 in the U.S., a record number.
In one of the most serious incidents affecting the U.S. government, the Department of Veterans Affairs reported that a laptop and hard drive containing personal information of 26.5 million military veterans and their spouses was stolen from an employee's home in May 2006.
ping
‘The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) said in January that more than 35 million data records were breached in 2008 in the U.S., a record number. ‘
Carefully worded to obtain more funding, folks.
And Zero wants all of our medical records on a database. Grrrrreeeeeaaaaaat.
I work for the FAA so I’m thrilled.
If anything, I think Obama is at least stimulating interest in me in the underground market.
Or, as Aesop might have written, "Even as dust from the hooves of fleeing data horses settled around the King's barnyard, a servant was dispatched to the shop of the local iron monger, where a large lock was purchased to be installed on the swinging door of the data barn.
"And almost everyone lived happily ever after. Including the wealthy iron monger and his sharp-faced wife."
China, yes has the engineering capability
Israel, yes, has the need for the info
Greenland, No, never
Germany, maybe
Japan, yes, has the engineering capability
Gee, I wonder who would do a thing like that....
Gee, I wonder who would do a thing like that....
A 15 year old.
Obama’s fault.
Personal data belonging to more than 45,000 employees and retirees fear not people it’s only obama’s way of seeking advanced information you are now free to move about your cell.
Great, so do I. Now our personal information is out there for our identities to be stolen. I wonder what the letter they're sending us is going to say.
This is disturbing.
Thank you Ali Veritas.
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=10394
FAA Notifies Employees of Personal Identity Breach
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The FAA today notified employees that an agency computer was illegally accessed and employee personal identity information was stolen electronically. All affected employees will receive individual letters to notify them about the breach.
The FAA is moving quickly to prevent any similar incidents and has identified immediate steps as well as longer-term measures to further protect personal information. The agency is also providing a toll-free number and information on the employee website for those who believe they may be affected by the breach.
Two of the 48 files on the breached computer server contained personal information about more than 45,000 FAA employees and retirees who were on the FAA’s rolls as of the first week of February 2006.
The server that was accessed was not connected to the operation of the air traffic control system or any other FAA operational system, and the FAA has no indication those systems have been compromised in any way.
Appropriate law enforcement agencies have been notified and are investigating the data theft.
The above press release:
Washington Headquarters Press Release
For Immediate Release”
February 9, 2009
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