Topic: Suspected Hacker Enters Military Database

[toasty0]

By Associated Press

August 23, 2005, 11:12 AM EDT

SAN ANTONIO -- A suspected hacker tapped into a military database containing Social Security numbers and other personal information for 33,000 Air Force officers and some enlisted personnel, an Air Force spokesman said Tuesday.

That figure represents about half of the officers in the Air Force, but no identity theft had been reported as of early Tuesday, said Tech. Sgt. James Brabenec, a spokesman at the Air Force Personnel Center at Randolph Air Force Base.

The case is under investigation.

"Protecting airmen's personnel information is something we take very seriously," Maj. Gen. Tony Przybyslawski, commander of the personnel center, said in a statement. "We are doing everything we can to catch and prosecute those responsible."

The Social Security numbers, birth dates and other information was accessed sometime in May or June, apparently by someone with the password to the Air Force computer system, Brabenec said.

On Friday, the personnel affected were notified of steps they can take to protect their identity, he said.

The military, while protecting classified information, has had trouble protecting data about its people, a computer expert told The Washington Post, which first reported the story.

"They have historically done much better at protecting operational systems than at protecting administrative systems," said John E. Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org.
Copyright 2005 Newsday Inc.

[Bonk]

I thought military networks were supposed to be physically separate from the internet?

Or did someone get at a local terminal, or use an induction sniffer?

Personal info on 33,000 would sell for anywhere from $16-66K depending on the level of detail...

[toasty0]

I thought military networks were supposed to be physically separate from the internet?

Or did someone get at a local terminal, or use an induction sniffer?

Personal info on 33,000 would sell for anywhere from $16-66K depending on the level of detail...

Or the government that wanted the info. Personal info is pretty powerful stuff. Many time the British were able to track a German unit's orders not by cracking the military order traffic by by reading pay and RR orders.