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Data Breach Of Department Of Veterans Affairs

By September 29, 2020May 5th, 2022Cybersecurity

Hackers aren’t picky when it comes to target selection, and no one is safe.

Unfortunately, that includes the Department of Veterans Affairs, which recently disclosed that a hacker successfully breached their system and made off with personal information belonging to more than 46,000 veterans served by the department.

According to the official breach notification, the hackers utilized social engineering techniques and exploited the authentication protocol to gain access to the VA’s Financial Services Center App (FSC). From there, they began to divert VA payments intended to go to healthcare providers for medical treatment. In addition to that, a spokesman for the VA says that there is evidence that the personal information contained in the veterans’ patient records was compromised.

A press release on the subject reads in part, as follows:

“To protect these Veterans, the FSC is alerting the affected individuals, including the next-of-kin of those who are deceased, of the potential risk to their personal information. The department is also offering access to credit monitoring services, at no cost, to those whose social security numbers may have been compromised.”

Unfortunately, this is not the first time the VA has been breached. The first incident actually occurred in 2006 when an unknown party stole a laptop and an external hard drive which contained personal information belonging to more than 26 million veterans. By comparison, this is a very small-scale attack, although that’s small consolation to those who have had their personal information compromised.

In any case, if you haven’t been contacted by the Department of Veterans Affairs, it’s safe to assume you’re not among the affected. Even so, out of an abundance of caution, it’s a good idea to keep a watchful eye out for phishing type attacks aimed at getting more information from you. Monitor your credit report for accounts opened in your name.

Jason Manteiga

Jason J. Manteiga, Vice President of Olmec Systems, has been part of the company for over the past 20 years. He believes that having a great work environment and supportive team, is the ultimate key to success. Since being in the IT realm for over 25 years, Jason, along with Olmec Systems, has been on the Inc. 5000 “List of America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies” and Channel Futures MSP 501 “Top Managed Service Providers in North America,” along with other awards and nominations. Jason earned his Bachelor Degree in Information Systems from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He also holds certifications in Microsoft MCSE, VMWare VCP, and Cisco CCNA. In his spare time, Jason is a contributor for The Center for Social & Legal Research (Privacy Exchange) and a member of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce. His hobbies include cycling and kayaking. He currently lives in New Jersey with his wife, two daughters and son.