http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/06/23/navy.data.ap/index.html

Sailors' data posted on Web

Navy launches criminal investigation

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Navy has begun a criminal investigation after Social Security numbers and other personal data for 28,000 sailors and family members were found on a civilian Web site.

The Navy said Friday the information was in five documents and included people's names, birth dates and Social Security numbers. Navy spokesman Lt. Justin Cole would not identify the Web site or its owner. He said the information had been removed. Cole would not provide any details about how the information ended up on the site.

Cole said there was no indication so far that the information was used illegally, but individuals involved were being contacted and encouraged to monitor their bank accounts and credit cards.

Meanwhile, the General Accountability Office said it removed archival records from its Web site this week containing some personal identifying information of fewer than 1,000 government workers.

The data included some individual names and Social Security numbers. The breach regarding the Navy comes amid a rash of government computer data thefts, including one at the Agriculture Department earlier this week in which a hacker may have obtained names, Social Security numbers and photos of 26,000 Washington-area employees and contractors.

As many as 26.5 million veterans and current military troops may have been affected by the theft of a laptop computer containing their Social Security numbers and birth dates. The computer was taken from the home of a Veterans Affairs Department employee in early May.

Officials waited nearly three weeks, until May 22, before notifying veterans of the theft.As many as a six federal agencies have been affected by computer data losses in recent months.