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Navy Investigates Online Information Leak

You`d think that the Navy will know how to protect its information from being published online, but it seems that even the Navy doesn?t have an answer against online mischief. A criminal investigation has commenced after Social Security numbers and other personal data that belongs to 28,000 sailors and family members were found on a private civilian website.

The information was stored in five documents that contained people`s names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers. The Navy didn`t disclose the identity of the web site or its owner. All information was removed from the site now the Navy is looking to determine the source of the leak. There`s no indication that the information was used illegally, but everyone involved was notified and encouraged to monitor their bank accounts and credit cards.

Just one week ago, a computer containing tens of thousands of Social Security numbers was stolen form an employee`s house, and many people are concerned about their information`s safety. In an era for mass information and high speed networking it`s hard to control the flow of information. It`s hard to predict when or what will be the next hazard. Home users, who are worried about personal information being published, shouldn`t store any of their personal data on an internet-connected computer.