Energy Department disk missing
A computer disk containing personal information on most Energy Department employees who were issued a badge at the Idaho lab since 1949 was lost in shipment by UPS.How many victims? 59,000.
What type of personal information? Names, Social Security numbers and badge numbers.
Details: The package was being shipped as part of the department's Former Worker Medical Screening Program, for federal workers who may have been exposed to hazardous or radioactive materials. It was shipped from Queens College in New York to the Center for Construction Research and Training in Maryland.
The package arrived, but was damaged and missing the disk. The disk was password-protected but it's unknown whether it was encrypted.
What was the response? UPS alerted the Energy Department about the loss Jan. 30 and is working with the department's Office of Health, Safety and Security to retrieve the data. Shipments of further data for the medical program have been suspended pending the results of an investigation.
Source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/, Washington Times, “Energy Dept. loses workers' data,” March 11, 2009.
