Next episode; an entire nation’s data stolen in one theft
June 7th, 2006Data Theft Affected Most in Military
National Security Concerns Raised
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, June 7, 2006; Page A01Social Security numbers and other personal information for as many as 2.2 million U.S. military personnel — including nearly 80 percent of the active-duty force — were among the data stolen from the home of a Department of Veterans Affairs analyst last month, federal officials said yesterday, raising concerns about national security as well as identity theft.
The department announced that personal data for as many as 1.1 million active-duty military personnel, 430,000 National Guard members and 645,000 reserve members may have been included on an electronic file stolen May 3 from a department employee’s house in Aspen Hill. The data include names, birth dates and Social Security numbers, VA spokesman Matt Burns said.
Defense officials said the loss is unprecedented and raises concerns about the safety of U.S. military forces. But they cautioned that law enforcement agencies investigating the incident have not found evidence that the stolen information has been used to commit identity theft.
“Anytime there is a theft of personal information, it is concerning and requires us and our members to be vigilant,” Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. He said the loss is “the largest that I am aware of.”
Army spokesman Paul Boyce said: “Obviously there are issues associated with identity theft and force protection.”
For example, security experts said, the information could be used to find out where military personnel live. “This essentially can create a Zip code for where each of the service members and [their] families live, and if it fell into the wrong hands could potentially put them at jeopardy of being targeted,” said David Heyman, director of the homeland security program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Another worry is that the information could reach foreign governments and their intelligence services or other hostile forces, allowing them to target service members and their families, the experts said.
“There is a global black market in this sort of information . . . and you suddenly have a treasure trove of information on the U.S. military that is available,” […]
My emphasis. An SQL file containing one million records could easily fit on a USB Flash Drive the size of your thumbnail. When they say ‘an electronic file’ this is what they are talking about.
The article says that the information could be used to find out where military personnel live. The same holds tru obviously, for the data of plebians ordinary citizens. Our safety is just as compromised by this sort of theft as the safety of military types. We can be ‘targeted’ just like anyone else. Why is there increased concern for the personal information of grunts over and above that which is displayed for the man in the street.
We are made to feel concerned that ‘the information could reach foreign governments’.
What the Fuck?
The criminal, mass murdering, regime changing, perverted, CIA/NSA terrorist controlled, government of the USA (Under Satan’s Authority), mandated that the citizens of the EU have their data harvested on a totally bogus pretext, and then keeps this data and uses it for just these criminal ends, and we are meant to think that it is a ‘worry’ when their data is to be spread around the world?
Forgive me if i wish nothing but ill to these people, these HYPOCRITES, these DOGS who now have to suffer what their own government has done to MILLIONS of innocent travellers. And lets not forget, that the animals in the us government collected not just people’s names and addresses, but:
4. Is sensitive data included in the PNR data transfer?
5. Will my PNR data be shared with other authorities?
PNR data received in connection with flights between the EU and the U.S. may be shared with other domestic and foreign government authorities that have counter-terrorism or law enforcement functions, on a case-by-case basis and under specific data protection guarantees, for purposes of preventing and combating terrorism and other serious criminal offences: other serious crimes, including organized crime, that are transnational in nature: and flight from warrants or custody for the crimes described above.
PNR data may also be provided to other relevant government authorities, when necessary to protect the vital interests of that passenger or of other persons, in particular as regards to significant health risks, or as otherwise required by law. [..]
and lets not forget; name, address, flightnumber, credit card number, and choice of meal.
Once again, I cannot understand how ANYONE who knows this is happening can WILLINGLY fly to the USA…but I digress.
Clearly if the NIR is rolled, out, a disaster like this WILL happen again and again, and the entire contents of the NIR will fall into the hands of criminals. Unlike having your credit card fall into the criminal hands of uncle sham, your fingerprints cannot be changed. You will be exposed forever, and in that eventuality, nothing less than the removal of relying on fingerprints for the purposes of ID will save the millions of compromised persons from impersonation.
If you dont enter the NIR of course, you will not be exposed to this threat. You should not, under any circunstances, register with the NIR should it come into being.
and, just in time for this post:
Information from the UK’s controversial DNA database is being given to foreign law agencies, it has emerged.
The Home Office has revealed that other nations have made 519 requests for details from the database since 2004.
All of the requests were granted and the Liberal Democrats fear there are not enough checks on the system.
It emerged in January that 24,000 under-18s never cautioned, charged or convicted are on the database, which was established in 1995. […]
and if the NIR comes on line, you can expect this sort of data sharing to proliferate dramatically.
Apalllung. YES APPALLUNG!