VA Data Theft Update

[03cavPA]

This is from the gov't. website for the VA information. Looks like they are going to give vets one year free credit monitoring.




"What Credit Monitoring Will VA Offer?

NEW: How Will VA Provide Credit Monitoring?

As part of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) continuing efforts to protect and assist those potentially affected by the recent data theft that occurred at an employee's Maryland home, VA announced on June 21 that the agency will provide one year of free credit monitoring to individuals whose sensitive personal information - Social Security Number (SSN) - may have been stolen in the incident.

VA also announced on June 21 the Department is soliciting bids to hire a company that provides data breach analysis, which will look for possible misuse of the stolen VA data. The analysis would help measure the risk of the data loss, identify suspicious misuse of identity information and expedite full assistance to affected individuals.

VA has no reason to believe the perpetrators who committed this burglary were targeting the data, and Federal investigators believe that it is unlikely that identity theft has resulted from the data theft.

NEW: How does an individual sign up for credit monitoring?

VA will solicit bids from qualified companies beginning the week of June 21. Once this process has been completed, VA will be sending follow-up letters to those whose sensitive personal information - Social Security Number (SSN) - may have been included in the data theft. The follow-up letters will contain specific instructions on how individuals can "opt-in" for free credit monitoring, as well as other information.

NEW: How long before VA will begin credit monitoring?

Once the solicitation for bids process is completed, VA will hire and begin working with the selected organization to organize the "opt-in" process and arrange for letters to be sent to those eligible for credit monitoring. VA will ask industry to provide expedited proposals, and to be prepared to implement them rapidly once they are under contract. VA anticipates having free credit monitoring available to those eligible by mid-August.

NEW: What information will the follow-up letter provide?

The follow-up letter will explain credit monitoring and how eligible individuals can enroll. The letter will also offer details on data breach analysis and the company VA contracts with to provide such services.

NEW: Who will receive this follow-up letter?

VA will be sending follow-up letters to individuals whose sensitive personal information - Social Security Number (SSN) - may have been included in the data theft. "

[BNaylor]

Thanks for the update. That sounds like a step in the right direction but how long will this take. By the time the VA get bids and approves the credit reports it could be too late by the time you enroll.

In Texas and certain other states you are entitled to a free credit report from all 3 bureaus once a year so that may be the best route to go in the interim.

This should not have happened in the first place. Bad VA!

[03cavPA]

Yep, I obtained a free report form one of the bureaus as soon as I got the letter, and I put a 90 day fraud alert on my record.

It's free, and if you file an alert with one bureau, they are required to notify the other two, anyway.

This should not have happened, but we live in a society where people feel they can do whatever they damn well please, never mind whether it's against established policy or not. The butthead employee from the VA only gets fired, and we get to deal with whatever problems his disregard for policy and procedure has caused.

[windowpane]

By now it should have rolled out to ALL states, US, that you are entitled to your credit report from the 3 bureaus 1 a year. So every 4 months hit up another agency and you are covered for a year, they still charge for getting your score and 'monitoring' alerts but you really only need the report.

Here's the site:
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp

goverment site pointing you to above site:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/...reereports.htm

[BNaylor]

According to the latest news that stolen Laptop with our data has been recovered:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13613727/