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Hackers break into Energy Department’s nuclear weapons wing

A hacker obtained data belonging to the federal Department of Energy's nuclear weapons agency last year, stealing the names and Social Security numbers of 1,500 department employees.

The data theft occurred at a National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) system in Albuquerque, N.M., according to numerous published reports. None of the victims were notified.

Linton Brooks, NNSA administrator, told members of the U.S. House of Representatives that he learned of the breach last September, and it had occurred earlier that month, according to an Associated Press report.

The compromised data was not a part of the NNSA’s classified network containing nuclear weapons data, according to the AP’s report.

The latest reported breach follows last month’s announcement of the breach of the personal information of millions of veterans and current U.S. Armed Forces members.

A computer containing the data of what was initially expected to be of veterans, was stolen from an employee’s Aspen Hill, Va., home on May 3.

Prat Moghe, CEO and founder of Tizor Systems, said traditional security methods aren’t a solution for securing personal information.

"There is a data center blind spot and organizations are kidding themselves if they think that stepping up traditional security methods will fix it. It’s like trying to protect Fort Knox with locked doors and card readers but no security systems," he said. "Organizations need to be able to see what is going on with the critical data in their care – all the time."

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