Posted on 05/22/2006 1:01:29 PM PDT by standingfirm
WASHINGTON A computer disk containing personal information for some 26.5 million U.S. veterans was stolen from the home of a Veterans Affairs data analyst after he took home the disk, which he was not authorized to do, according to the Veterans Affairs Web site.
The disk contains names, Social Security numbers and birthdates veterans and some spouses, as well as some disability ratings. The disk does contain electronic health records or financial information.
Veterans were being urged to get more information at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and at FirstGov.gov Web sites.
"The employee has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation," the Veterans Affairs Web site says. In addition, the "FBI and the VA Inspector General's office have launched full-scale investigations."
Veterans Affairs was expected to send notification letters and was working with Congress, veterans' organizations and the media to inform those affected and help them prevent possible misuse of their information.
(Story continues below)
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Go straight here, Vets. It's Front Page News at the VA. D@mn. Just D@MN! I sure don't need this! I want that that official drawn and quartered in the Town Square. I don't believe for one second that our data wasn't "stolen." It was sold to the highest bidder.
http://www.va.gov/
I've been reading through the comments on this, and notice it is trending toward disbelief when it comes to the "burglary" story.
Yeah, it was stolen, wink, wink.
Or were discharged before '76 (Dec '75 in my case) but then went on to serve in the Reserves?
I suspect the pre '76 data was on a different disk or disks.
I'd like to know the political leanings, connections, and associations of this "Veterans Affairs data analyst".
[Private Industry, other than those working directly for the goverment, doesn't deal with classified or "Official Use Only" data.]
Maybe not "classified" or "offical use only", but ...
Credit reporting agencies like Experian are private industry. Banks are private industry. Any HR person working for any private company will have files that include Name, Address, SS#, etc. about the employees of the corporation.
Lots of people have sensitive information about thousands or millions of people at their fingertips. A lot more of that data is included in files that people work on at home than we would be comfortable with if we knew.
As I said, the question is why would data like that be kept in an unencrypted format ?
I think the American people need to file a class action suit against the government for the mis handling of social security numbers. The IRS should be a seperate suit for allowing illegals to use stolen numbers and doing nothing about it.
That's a lot of illegals who are going to benefit from those stolen SS#! HEADS SHOULD ROLL!!
I sent the info on to my friend who is the Admin Asst. to the Wisconsin Adjutant General. She basically RUNS the Wisconsin National Guard, though she'll deny it, LOL! (She's a retired Major now working as a civilian.)
If anyone can find out the facts it'll be her and I'll keep Freeper Vets up to date. :)
Great! I like YOUR "connections, and associations". :-)
I got a million of 'em. ;)
God bless 'em all, and you too! :)
:)
The numbers were needed to give to illegal aliens once they get amnesty from this worthless Congress and administration.
LOL. . .had not gone that far. . .but who knows. . .along that line; maybe. . .FOB? Hillary? Need 'info' for election engineering or 'special mailings'. . .
Oh, really cannot imagine a scenario. . .the only thing reasonable is that he IS probably a Demrat. . .
Guess we need to stay tuned. . .
Cynical. Paranoid, even.
What's that phrase about paranoid people, again ?
My sarcasm was apparently too subtle.
The correct response to my question was: "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you !"
Of course the fix is in. Of course we've been sold down the river by Republicans in addition to the Dims.
Okay...I thought you were being critical. Especially since the paranoid line has been used so much. Yes, I missed the sarcasm, sorry.
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