Data Theft at Government Agencies More Common than Reported

As consumers, security breaches and data leaks at our financial institutions are always a great concern to us. After all, sensitive personal and financial information such as Social Security numbers and account numbers are falling into the possession of those who may misuse them. But what about our government agencies? Can't we trust confidential data to be kept secure by Uncle Sam? Apparently, it's not as secure as we'd like to think.

According to a congressional report released on Friday, October 13, incidents of lost or stolen data at government agencies occurs more frequently than they thought. These security breaches affect millions of Americans and 19 government departments. The report states that out of nearly 800 incidents, most of them have not been reported to the public, and most of these incidents involved outright thefts of computers or disks containing personal identifying information like Social Security numbers. An investigation began after reports of numerous high profile data losses, including a stolen laptop from an employee of Veterans Affairs, and the investigation revealed security breaches with several other government agencies like the Social Security Administration, the Department of Health, the Defense Department and the Department of Education, just to name a few.

Perhaps more emphasis should be placed on securing the personal information of private citizens. Government employees should be trained to handle our data with care, and when there is a problem, they should be more efficient about letting the public know about potential identity theft issues.