TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Vast Data Cache About Veterans Has Been Stolen

Re: Vast Data Cache About Veterans Has Been Stolen

hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com
23 May 2006 11:56:04 -0700

Monty Solomon wrote:

> WASHINGTON, May 22 - Personal electronic information on up to 26.5
> million military veterans, including their Social Security numbers and
> birth dates, was stolen from the residence of a Department of Veterans
> Affairs employee who had taken the data home without authorization,
> the agency said Monday.

> The department said that there was no evidence any of the information
> had been used illegally and that whoever stole it, in a burglary of
> the employee's home this month, might be unaware of its nature or how
> to use it. The stolen data do not include any health records or
> financial information, the agency said.

While this incident is a problem, I think they unnecessarily worried
people. It is important to emphasize that the thief did not steal the
_data_, but rather, stole the contents of someone's house. Such
thieves likely have no idea how to utilize data and usually just want
a quick sale of the hardware (TV set, jewelry), tossing away any
software. Of course, with the publicity, _now_ a thief knows he has
something extremely valuable.

> As measured by the number of people potentially affected, the data
> loss is exceeded only by a breach last June at CardSystems Solutions,
> a payment processor, in which the accounts of 40 million credit card
> holders were compromised in a hacking incident.

This is the thing that is much more frightening. In that, it was a
technically proficient hacker who was out to get the data and likely
knew what it was and how to make use of it.

Post Followup Article Use your browser's quoting feature to quote article into reply
Go to Next message: Kate Holton: "Internet is a Lawless Territory"
Go to Previous message: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com: "Re: File Sharers Hit With Criminal Charges"
May be in reply to: Monty Solomon: "Vast Data Cache About Veterans Has Been Stolen"
TELECOM Digest: Home Page