4.9 Million Records Stolen In Recent Data Breach
Tue 04 Oct, 2011 // Chris Allan
The medical records of military personnel and their families have been compromised, in the most recent data breach. Officials told Reuters that back-up record tapes were stolen from a Science Applications International Corp (SAIC) data contractor's car in San Antonio, Texas.
The data included security numbers, phone numbers, addresses and personal health data. Fortunately the tapes did not include any bank details or other financial information. The records provided information on 4.9 million active and retired military patients and families who received treatment at military hospitals and facilities in San Antonio from 1992 until September 7th 2011.
Since the tapes went missing on September 14th, SAIC spokesperson Vernon Guidry told Reuters that the tapes were being, “transferred from one federal facility to another in compliance with the terms of their contract.” He maintains that there is no clear indication that the thief had targeted the tapes specifically , or even knew what they were. Those whose medical data was stolen used the US military's TRICARE health provider;a company for whom SAIC has a contract to manage their data.
Health care provider TRICARE have insisted that the risk of the data being misused was low, “since retrieving the data on the tapes would require knowledge of and access to specific hardware and software and knowledge of the system and data structure.”
TRICARE and SAIC have both stated that there will be a review into their data protection security policies and procedures to prevent future data breaches.
Find out more about the information security solutions provided by commissum today, and ensure that your data remains secure.
“We have been pleased to work with commissum who have provided us with services to address our Security Assurance requirements. commissum met our demands, as an organisation operating within the Legal Services sector, with the highest level of integrity, commitment and excellent level of service. We would have no hesitation in recommending commissum.”
Mr Kenneth P, IT Manager, National Legal Services
"commissum recently provided us with services to assess a web application and supporting infrastructure. I was impressed with the consultants throughout the project, by their technical knowledge, flexibility, open communication and willingness to go that extra mile. Of particular benefit was the sound advice given both during and after the engagement. By identifying vulnerabilities promptly, accompanied with practical recommendations on how to address them. We were able to implement improvements quickly. Good value, a job well done.”
JM, Infosec Analyst, International Investment Bank
"We engaged with commissum for the first time this year and found them highly professional and a pleasure to do business with. We were particularly pleased with the report provided which was of excellent quality, with an appropriate level of detail and clarity in its recommendations. I would happily refer others to commissum.”
Mr Billy K, IT Director, National Law Firm
"We are extremely pleased with the work carried out by the commissum team. All of the commissum staff were a pleasure to work with and maintained a high level of professionalism at all times. They were able to provide us with sound advice and guidance to make sure that we got the best value for money from our test and provided excellent communication and recommendations before, during and after the tests. I would strongly recommend commissum to other companies that are looking for peace of mind in relation to their IT security and I can say that we will use commissum again for future testing.”
Chris S, IT Officer - UK Housing Association
"commissum understood exactly what we needed and delivered excellent service on time, and on budget. Why can't all companies be like them!"
Mr Duncan M, Information Security Manager - National Building Society
Get in touch with one of our security consultants today
- No obligation
- Expert advice
- Tailored solutions
"commissum was particularly responsive and the project was well managed under demanding conditions. I was very happy with the technical standard. Very good value for money as well”
Mr Kenneth Y, Head of IT Risk & Compliance, International Retail Bank
"I was very pleased with the work delivered by commissum from start to finish. The quality of reporting was excellent and the consultants very helpful with clear communication throughout the engagement. I would happily recommend commissum to others.”
Ms Louisa L, IT Manager, National Building Society
"commissum provided us with a high quality service. We found the project team helpful and flexible in responding to changes in requirement; the technical staff in particular were excellent. All commitments including deliverable timescales were met and I would have no hesitation in recommending commissum.”
Mr A Moretti, Executive Director for IT Security Risk Management, Global Investment Bank
"From the start the project went very smoothly despite the short notice. commissum maintained excellent communication throughout ........ their flexibility and responsiveness right up to the end of the project was of great value to us.”
Mr Keith H, Senior Business Manager - UK Local Government
