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October 21, 2010 - Once again, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has a security problem. This time it is not a case of someone attacking the VA's security and stealing laptops. This time the VA did it to themselves and compromised approximately 4,000 veterans.
A Boston, Mass VA benefit administration (VBA) office mailed out 6,299 letters summarizing veterans' benefits to incorrect addresses in August. While that in itself is pretty irresponsible, 3,936, of those letters contained full social security numbers. Additionally, 2,386 of those letters contained VBA state based claim numbers. The report the VA sent to Congress put the blame on a programming error.
Performance Analysis & Integrity was the contractor in charge of the mailings. They combined current veterans' information with old veterans' addresses. When the letters themselves were mailed, many were folded incorrectly so that the names of the recipients were not visible. This increased the chances someone receiving the letter incorrectly would still open the letter.
There is absolutely no way of knowing if the letters were opened. Because of this, the VA's only option is to offer credit monitoring and notification to any veteran requesting the services. The VA has notified all veterans who could be affected by these possible breaches into their privacy, explained the situation, and made them the offer for credit protection.
Soldiers can return home with a number of conditions, injuries, and aggravated preexisting conditions. If you believe you have a service-connected physical or psychological injury you may be entitled to Veterans’ Disability Compensation.
At LaVan and Neidenberg, we are determined to secure veterans their rightful disability compensation and disability rating. We wrote this book for you! In it you will find valuable tips on how to navigate the claims process and avoid common pitfalls. Request your FREE copy today!
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