[Dataloss] U.S. military cracks down on stolen computer drives

[lyger]

Follow-up to an April list post via the L.A. Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-disks10apr10,0,5854905,full.story )

Updated: 9:46 p.m. ET May 8, 2006

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12694212/

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Computer storage devices containing sensitive 
military information stolen from the U.S. base here and widely available 
in shops last month are now hard to find.

The U.S. military has increased security measures to prevent Afghan 
workers from slipping the small portable flash drives into their pockets 
in order to sell them to shops near the main American base in Afghanistan, 
a U.S. spokesman and shopkeepers said Monday.

One shopkeeper said Afghan workers on the Bagram base are now scrutinized 
carefully on their way out. "They even look in their shoes," said the 
40-year-old shopkeeper, who would only give his first name, Amruddin.

In April, dozens of used flash drives were available in markets here. 
Drives viewed by The Associated Press had the Social Security numbers of 
hundreds of soldiers, including four generals, and lists of troops who 
completed nuclear, chemical and biological warfare training.

[...]