In addition to mass mailing a percentile point of rain forest to every veteran in America, the US Military’s intranet site Army Knowledge Online posted a letter today warning all active soldiers that their identities were already threading through the Internet like tapeworms, just looking for a Russian hacker to attach themselves parasitically to. Or maybe it’s vice versa.

We aim to be compleatists about this story, so the post in its entirety after the fudged jump. Click on the first ‘Read More’, not the second!

Read More… and comment!

Message to all Soldiers

As you are likely aware, the Department of Veterans Affairs recently lost a computer drive with the identifying information (names, SSNs and dates of birth) of as many as 20 million veterans. We now know
that many active and reserve servicemembers may be affected. Although there is no evidence that the data has been used illegally, all Soldiers should be extra vigilant with regard to their financial
well-being.

You should closely monitor your personal financial affairs while the DoD, VA and the Military Services work in earnest to determine the details and impacts of the compromise. We ask that you carefully
monitor your bank accounts, credit card accounts and any other financial accounts for suspicious activity. For more information on how to protect yourself, contact DoD’s Military One Source at
http://www.militaryonesource.com or 1-800-342-9647.

The Army will work to keep you informed and ensure that you are aware of the resources available to help deal with this issue.

Peter J. Schoomaker Kenneth O. Preston
General, United States Army Sergeant Major of the Army
Chief of Staff

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.