UK: Mildenhall personnel information compromised

[security curmudgeon <jericho () attrition org>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=61487

By Charlie Reed
Stars and Stripes
European edition
March 21, 2009

RAF MILDENHALL, England - British authorities are still looking for a 
stolen computer containing the personal information of thousands assigned 
to the base.

The names, post office box numbers, forwarding addresses, units of 
assignment and work phone numbers of the 6,000 mailbox holders at RAF 
Mildenhall were contained in a password-protected database that an airman 
transferred to his personal laptop to work with at home. The computer was 
stolen from the post office employee’s residence in nearby Brandon in 
late January and has not been recovered, according to the Suffolk 
Constabulary, the local British police force.

Two suspects were arrested for suspicion of burglary within days of the 
Jan. 27 crime and were later released. According to records, the men, ages 
22 and 26, have "no fixed abode" and are scheduled to meet with 
investigators March 31, said Lisa Crane, constabulary spokeswoman.

The Air Force is not participating in the investigation but posted several 
notices at the mail center urging people to follow Federal Trade 
Commission guidelines for identification theft, which include placing a 
fraud alert on credit information. A mass e-mail with the same 
notification and advice also was circulated around the base.

"We believe that the probability is low that the information will be 
accessed and used for an unlawful purpose," the notice stated. "However, 
we cannot say with certainty that this might not occur."

[...]

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