Data breach could affect 60,000 GIs, civilians

[unhappycamper]

Data breach could affect 60,000 GIs, civilians
By Jim Tice - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Nov 13, 2009 17:32:15 EST

The Corps of Engineers is investigating the recent loss of an external hard drive that could pose identify theft problems for as many as 60,000 soldiers and Army civilians.

Maj. Mark Young, a Corps of Engineers spokesman in Washington, said the security breach occurred in the command’s Southwestern Division, which is headquartered in Dallas, in early November.

“Right now the focus is on investigating (the incident), alerting people who may be affected, and taking measures to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.

Information stored on the missing hard drive includes personal data, such as names and Social Security numbers, on a number of current and former soldiers and some civilian employees, according to information provided by the Southwest Division.

Most of the affected population includes soldiers whose files went before the Fiscal 2008 sergeant first class and 2008 master sergeant promotion boards, and the 2007 colonel promotion board and the 2009 lieutenant colonel command board.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/11/army_breach_111309w/