The costs of setting up systems to notify military personnel, help military personnel access credit reports, and the potential help they will need in becoming whole again should identity theft become an issue and damage credit and loss of identity, is initially estimated to cost between $25 million and $100 million. And unfortunately, the funding will be coming out of the Veteran’s Affairs budget, when over the next five years the 2007 pending legislation will call for over $8 billion less in allocations, needed to build hospitals and new clinics now. With nearly 20,000 wounded already from the War in Iraq, it is inconceivable to be cutting budgets at this time at the VA. The severity of the VA breach is much clearer when compared with a stolen credit card number. Usually the victim need only cancel the credit card account. But with the loss of a birth date combined with a Social Security number the thief has access to not only one’s assets but can continue to borrow funds, take out a mortgage and establish additional credit card accounts. Additionally, legal status for those not legally in the U.S. can be assumed by the theft of one’s Social Security number.

Secretary Nicholson has since directed all VA employees to complete the annual VA Cyber Security Awareness Training Course and the General Employee Privacy Awareness Course by June 30, 2006. He has ordered all VA staff to annually sign an Employee Statement of Commitment and Understanding that will also describe non-compliance consequences and has directed that the VA immediately conduct an inventory and review of all current positions requiring access to sensitive VA data and require those who need access to sensitive information to perform their duties to undergo updated background investigations. Sadly, these measures were meant to have been followed all along. And now, is of little consolation at this late date, for our present and fallen heroes.

Copyright ©2006 Diane M. Grassi