thedrifter
08-02-07, 06:38 AM
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Marines to be notified of compromised personal information
By Sgt. Jennifer Brown
Combat Correspondent
Active and reserve Marines who conducted rifle re-qualification during recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., between January 2004 and December 2006 should expect a letter from Marine Corps officials informing them about a compromise of personal information that occurred in June.
Names and social security numbers of nearly 8,500 Marines were unintentionally posted on the Internet by Pennsylvania State University, who acquired the information under a research and study contract with the Marine Corps.
The data was improperly posted on the university’s Web site and was subsequently cached by Google, according to Maj. Tim Keefe, spokesman for Training and Education Command here.
The information was subjected to potential identity theft for 10 days before
Penn State security personnel removed the files and reviewed their systems logs upon notification of the compromise, according to Lisa Powers, spokesperson for Penn State Security Operations and Services.
In addition, Penn State officials coordinated with Google to remove the cached files from Google’s servers.
According to Keefe, the posted information was discovered by a Marine who had ‘‘Googled” his own name.
‘‘He reported the problem to Penn State officials and is the only person known to have accessed the site,” Keefe said.
Training and Education Command was notified of the incident July 6 and immediately took action to minimize any possibility of damage or loss to the affected Marines’ personal information.
‘‘TECOM has set up a response team to notify the affected Marines and assist them in ensuring their personal information is safeguarded,” Keefe said. ‘‘Marines with questions or concerns should call one of the call center numbers listed on Marine Administrative Message 443⁄07.”
Affected Marines can place a fraud alert on their credit files for up to 24 months, in which a free credit report from all three credit bureaus will be generated. These reports should be carefully reviewed for any suspicious activities such as fraudulent accounts, unrequested loans, and activity on old and inactive accounts, according to MarAdmin 443⁄07.
Marines can also access the Federal Trade Commission’s Web site at www.consumer.gov⁄IDTHEFT for guidance on protective action against identity theft.
Ellie
Marines to be notified of compromised personal information
By Sgt. Jennifer Brown
Combat Correspondent
Active and reserve Marines who conducted rifle re-qualification during recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., between January 2004 and December 2006 should expect a letter from Marine Corps officials informing them about a compromise of personal information that occurred in June.
Names and social security numbers of nearly 8,500 Marines were unintentionally posted on the Internet by Pennsylvania State University, who acquired the information under a research and study contract with the Marine Corps.
The data was improperly posted on the university’s Web site and was subsequently cached by Google, according to Maj. Tim Keefe, spokesman for Training and Education Command here.
The information was subjected to potential identity theft for 10 days before
Penn State security personnel removed the files and reviewed their systems logs upon notification of the compromise, according to Lisa Powers, spokesperson for Penn State Security Operations and Services.
In addition, Penn State officials coordinated with Google to remove the cached files from Google’s servers.
According to Keefe, the posted information was discovered by a Marine who had ‘‘Googled” his own name.
‘‘He reported the problem to Penn State officials and is the only person known to have accessed the site,” Keefe said.
Training and Education Command was notified of the incident July 6 and immediately took action to minimize any possibility of damage or loss to the affected Marines’ personal information.
‘‘TECOM has set up a response team to notify the affected Marines and assist them in ensuring their personal information is safeguarded,” Keefe said. ‘‘Marines with questions or concerns should call one of the call center numbers listed on Marine Administrative Message 443⁄07.”
Affected Marines can place a fraud alert on their credit files for up to 24 months, in which a free credit report from all three credit bureaus will be generated. These reports should be carefully reviewed for any suspicious activities such as fraudulent accounts, unrequested loans, and activity on old and inactive accounts, according to MarAdmin 443⁄07.
Marines can also access the Federal Trade Commission’s Web site at www.consumer.gov⁄IDTHEFT for guidance on protective action against identity theft.
Ellie