From The Washington Post, 7/8/07:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/07/AR2006070700945.html?referrer=emailarticle
Personal Data Were Posted on Navy Web Site
By Josh White
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, July 8, 2006; Page A03
Personal records for every Navy and Marine Corps aviator or aircrew
member who has logged flight hours in the past 20 years have been
posted on a public Navy Web site for the past six months, compromising
more than 100,000 Social Security numbers, the Navy Safety Center
announced yesterday.
Investigators are working to determine how the records landed on the
Navy Safety Center's Web site, which officials shut down Thursday
after a member of the public reported finding the full names and
Social Security numbers posted.
Evelyn Odango, a spokeswoman for the safety center in Norfolk, said
the list had been posted since December and appeared to be
"inadvertent" and the result of "human error."
The security breach involving personal information is among several
data losses involving the federal government in recent weeks,
including the loss of records related to more than 26.5 million
retirees and active-duty military personnel on a laptop that was
stolen in May from a Veterans Affairs employee's home.
The laptop was recovered last month.
The Government Accountability Office, the Agriculture Department, the
Energy Department and the Internal Revenue Service all announced that
they have had similar personal data compromised recently via Web site
postings, Internet hackers and loss of electronic equipment.
Two weeks ago, the Navy announced that personal information on 28,000
sailors and their family members was compromised when it appeared on a
public Web site.
Odango said the Navy Safety Center list was discovered Thursday by
someone not affiliated with the command, who then immediately reported
it.
She said the list includes all retired, active-duty and reservist
personnel who have logged flight hours in the past two decades.
The center is a command dedicated to improving the safety of Navy
operations.
"That's the kind of information that is not supposed to be put on the
Web site, and it was inadvertently posted," Odango said.
"We don't have any proof that any of the information has been accessed
or that it has been used illegally."
The information was included on 1,083 computer disks that were sent to
all Navy and Marine Corps commands, Odango said, and Navy officials
are working on recalling those disks.
Navy officials are encouraging anyone whose name could have been on
the list to carefully monitor bank accounts, credit cards and other
financial transactions to make sure the information is not being used
fraudulently.
Those who might have been affected can contact the Navy Personnel
Command call center at 866-827-5672 for more information.
The call center should be active by the end of the weekend.
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What a screwed-up mess.
Harry
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