Names, SSNs, Medical Records Compromised For 45,000

As if there wasn't enough to worry about right now, comes word hackers broke into the FAA's computer systems and accessed personal information of tens of thousands of employees and retirees.

The Associated Press reports FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown confirmed Monday statements from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3290, asserting names and Social Security numbers for some 45,000 employees were hacked last week.

Union president Tom Waters said the agency briefed union leaders about the security violation, in which hackers accessed two separate files: one containing names and SSNs for workers and retirees on the FAA's rolls through February 2006, the second holding encrypted medical information.

"These government systems should be the best in the world and apparently they are able to be compromised," said Waters, who works for the FAA as contracts attorney. "Our information technology systems people need to take a long hard look at themselves and their capabilities. This is malpractice in their world."

The FAA told the union this was the first time such an attack had been successful against the agency's computers... but Waters says AFSCME complained years ago about anti-union mailings send to union members, using addresses that appeared to come directly from FAA computers. The union says no action was taken on that matter, despite appeals to the agency and the DOT inspector general.

FMI: www.faa.gov