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CWV NEWS May 22, 2006
The CWV received that following message from the VA concerning the lost of the 26.5 million veterans records.
The CWV offers this advice to our members of what is going on and that the CWV is on top of it. This information is being
placed on the CWV Web Sites for Internet access.
The following information was provided by Javier Martinez, Legislative Assistant to US Representative Silvestre
Reyes (D-El Paso).
VA’s Notification to Veterans
Dear Veteran:
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has recently learned that an employee took home electronic data from
VA, which he was not authorized to do and was in violation of established policies. The employee’s home was burglarized
and this data was stolen. The data contained identifying information including names, social security numbers, and dates of
birth for up to 26.5 million veterans and some spouses, as well as some disability ratings. As a result of this incident,
information identifiable with you was potentially exposed to others. It is important to note that the affected data did not
include any of VA’s electronic health records or any financial information.
Appropriate law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the VA Inspector General’s office, have launched
full-scale investigations into this matter. Authorities believe it is unlikely the perpetrators targeted the items because
of any knowledge of the data contents. It is possible that they remain unaware of the information which they possess or of
how to make use of it.
Out of an abundance of caution, however, VA is taking all possible steps to protect and inform our veterans.
While you do not need to take any action unless you are aware of suspicious activity regarding your personal information,
there are many steps you may take to protect against possible identity theft and we wanted you to be aware of these. Specific
information is included in the attached question and answer sheet. For additional information, VA has teamed up the Federal
Trade Commission and has a website (www.firstgov.gov) with information on this matter or you may call 1-800-FED-INFO (1-800-333-4636).
The call center will operate from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. (EDT), Monday-Saturday, as long as it is needed.
We apologize for any inconvenience or concern this situation may cause, but we at VA believe it is important
for you to be fully informed of any potential risk resulting from this incident. Again, we want to reassure you we have no
evidence that your protected data has been misused. We will keep you apprised of any further developments. The men and women
of VA take our obligation to honor and serve America’s veterans very seriously and we are committed to seeing this never
happens again. Sincerely, R. James Nicholson Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Sincerely,
R. James Nicholson
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
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F A Qs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2006
Frequently Asked Questions on VA’s Letter to Veterans
1-
I’m a veteran, how can I tell if my information was compromised?
At this point there is no evidence that any missing data has been used illegally. However, the Department of
Veterans Affairs is asking all veterans to be extra vigilant and to carefully monitor bank statements, credit card statements
and any statements relating to recent financial transactions. If you notice unusual or suspicious activity, you should report
it immediately to the financial institution involved and contact the Federal Trade Commission for further guidance.
2- What is the earliest date at which suspicious activity might have occurred due to this data breach?
The information was stolen from an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs during the month of May 2006.
If the data has been misused or otherwise used to commit fraud or identity theft crimes, it is likely that veterans may notice
suspicious activity during the month of May.
3- I haven’t noticed any suspicious activity in my financial statements, but what can I do to protect
myself and prevent being victimized by credit card fraud or identity theft?
The Department of Veterans Affairs strongly recommends that veterans closely monitor their financial statements
and visit the Department of Veterans Affairs special website on this,
www.firstgov.gov or call 1-800-FED-INFO (1-800-333-4636).
4- Should I reach out to my financial institutions or will the Department of Veterans Affairs do this for me?
The Department of Veterans Affairs does not believe that it is necessary to contact financial institutions or
cancel credit cards and bank accounts, unless you detect suspicious activity.
5- Where should I report suspicious or unusual activity?
The Federal Trade Commission recommends the following four steps if you detect suspicious activity:
Step 1 – Contact the fraud department of one of the three major
credit bureaus:
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241 Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, Texas 75013 TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O.
Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
Step 2 – Close any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently
Step 3 – File a police report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity
theft took place.
Step 4 – File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission by using the FTC’s Identity Theft
Hotline by telephone: 1-877-438-4338, online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft, or by mail at Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW,
Washington DC 20580.
6- I know the Department of Veterans Affairs maintains my health records electronically; was this information
also compromised?
No electronic medical records were compromised. The data lost is primarily limited to an individual’s
name, date of birth, social security number, in some cases their spouse’s information, as well as some disability ratings.
However, this information could still be of potential use to identity thieves and we recommend that all veterans be extra
vigilant in monitoring for signs of potential identity theft or misuse of this information.
7- What is the Department of Veterans Affairs doing to insure that this does not happen again?
The Department of Veterans Affairs is working with the President’s Identity Theft Task Force, the Department
of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate this data breach and to develop safeguards against similar incidents.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has directed all VA employees complete the "VA Cyber Security Awareness Training Course"
and complete the separate "General Employee Privacy Awareness Course" by June 30, 2006. In addition, the Department of Veterans
Affairs will immediately be conducting an inventory and review of all current positions requiring access to sensitive VA data
and require all employees requiring access to sensitive VA data to undergo an updated National Agency Check and Inquiries
(NACI) and/or a Minimum Background Investigation (MBI) depending on the level of access required by the responsibilities associated
with their position. Appropriate law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Inspector
General of the Department of Veterans Affairs, have launched full-scale investigations into this matter.
8- Where can I get further, up-to-date information?
The Department of Veterans Affairs has set up a special website and a toll-free telephone number for veterans
which features up-to-date news and information. Please visit www.firstgov.gov or call 1-800-FED-INFO (333-4636).
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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT TO VETERANS
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has recently learned that an employee, a data analyst, took home electronic
data from the VA, which he was not authorized to do. This behavior was in violation of our policies. This data contained
identifying information including names, social security numbers, and dates of birth for up to 26.5 million veterans and some
spouses, as well as some disability ratings. Importantly, the affected data did not include any of VA's electronic health
records nor any financial information. The employee's home was burglarized and this data was stolen. The employee has
been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.
Appropriate law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the VA Inspector General's office, have launched
full-scale investigations into this matter. Authorities believe it is unlikely the perpetrators targeted the items because
of any knowledge of the data contents. It is possible that they remain unaware of the information which they posses or of
how to make use of it. However, out of an abundance of caution, the VA is taking all possible steps to protect and inform
our veterans.
The VA is working with members of Congress, the news media, veterans service organizations, and other government
agencies to help ensure that those veterans and their families are aware of the situation and of the steps they may take to
protect themselves from misuse of their personal information. The VA will send out individual notification letters to
veterans to every extent possible. Veterans can also go to www.firstgov.gov as well as www.va.gov/opa to get more information on this matter. The firstgov web site is being set to handle increased web traffic. Additionally,
working with other government agencies, the VA has set up a manned call center that veterans may call to get information about
this situation and learn more about consumer identity protections. That toll-free number is 1-800-FED INFO (333-4636). The
call center will be open beginning today, and will operate from 8 am to 9 pm (EDT), Monday-Saturday as long as it is needed.
The call center will be able to handle up to 20,000 calls per hour (260,000 calls per day).
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James Nicholson has briefed the Attorney General and the Chairman of the
Federal Trade Commission, co-chairs of the President's Identity Theft Task Force. Task Force members have already
taken actions to protect the affected veterans, including working with the credit bureaus to help ensure that veterans receive
the free credit report they are entitled to under the law.
Additionally, the Task Force will meet today, 22 May 2006, to coordinate the comprehensive Federal response,
recommend further ways to protect affected veterans, and increase safeguards to prevent the reoccurrence of such incidents.
The VA's mission to serve and honor our nation's veterans is one we take very seriously and the 235,000 VA employees
are deeply saddened by any concern or anxiety this incident may cause our veterans and their families. We appreciate
the service our veterans have given their country and we are working diligently to protect them from any harm as a result
of this incident. |
God Bless You
Jose M. Garcia
National Commander
Catholic War Veterans, USA
josegarcia4@juno.com
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