[ISN] Pentagon Hacker Compromises Personal Data

[InfoSec News]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/28/AR2006042801540.html

By ROBERT BURNS
The Associated Press
April 28, 2006

WASHINGTON -- An intruder gained access to a Defense Department
computer server and compromised confidential health care insurance
information for more than 14,000 people, the department said Friday.

William Winkenwerder Jr., the assistant defense secretary for health
affairs, said the affected individuals have been advised by letter
that the compromise of personal information could put them at risk for
identity theft.

"Such incidents are reprehensible, and we deeply regret the
inconvenience this may cause the people we serve," he said in a brief
statement.

The Pentagon established a toll-free telephone number (1-800-600-9332)  
for affected people to call if they have questions. The computer
server is for people insured under the Pentagon's TRICARE health care
system.

The type of information that was compromised was not disclosed in the
Pentagon announcement, but Winkenwerder said it varied and
investigators do not know the intent of the crime or if the
compromised information will be misused.

A spokesman for Winkenwerder, who asked not to be identified, said the
information included names, Social Security numbers, credit card
numbers and some personal health information.

Routine monitoring of one of the health care insurance system's public
servers detected unusual activity, and an investigation led to the
discovery on April 5 that an intrusion had occurred and information
was compromised.

As a result, additional monitoring tools were installed to improve
security of existing networks and data files, Winkenwerder said.

© 2006 The Associated Press