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1.  

   

   Nick, Jun 26th, 2006 @ 9:41am

   
   

   A smart thief...

   Why not just hold onto the data for a year and then go on a spree? Though I admit the data has probably already been wiped and the laptop resold or something...

    

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2.  

   

   Enlisted, Jun 26th, 2006 @ 9:45am

   
   

   Why this is a lose-lose situation for the armed fo

   This sucks for two reasons:
   A) because our information once again is out in the open
   and
   B) because even if we do get some money out of this, its coming from the VA! That money could be going towards something actually benefitting us... If only the criminal and the idiot that lost the info could be caught and held accountable for this. If we could only make the criminal and "the analyst" go through all of the mail that we are going to get from spammers and watch all of our credit reports...

    

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3.  

   

   WirelessGuy, Jun 26th, 2006 @ 10:25am

   
   

   Re: Why this is a lose-lose situation for the arme

   I did see one requirement stating that any money towards this program could not come from the same money that was identified for any VA program. However, where that funding would come from I have no clue. As a vet who got a letter stating I was among the lucky ones who's information was let roam free, I am pretty concerned that the government will do the same thing they have always done and ignore the vets and hope we all just vanish into some VFW.

    

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4.  

   

   anonymous coward, Jun 26th, 2006 @ 10:43am

   
   

   if all corporations or gov agencies were required to pay for lifetime credit monitoring every time that they "lose" customer data, all U.S. citizens would have lifetime free credit monitoring within a year or two and young kids would probably get lifetime monitoring within 6-12 months of getting their first bank account.

    

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5.  

   

   X12B, Jun 26th, 2006 @ 11:02am

   
   

   Re: Why this is a lose-lose situation for the arme

   While I think that the dim-witted thief most likely destroyed the data, I appreciate that the VA has even offered the credit monitoring. As for the lawyers who have concocted the "free-for-life-plus-a-grand" scheme: How about you confer with those of us affected, since the VA will be using our tax dollars to pay us. Plus the VA will use how may more millions of tax dollars fighting the lawyers, once again taking money out of the hands of vets that need it. Brilliant! I just love our legal system.

    

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6.  

   

   Anonymous Coward, Jun 26th, 2006 @ 12:09pm

   
   

   I for one will accept the free monitoring...

   Just last night (at 11 pm CST no less) I got a call from someone (blocked number) who wanted to renew my subscription to Hustler magazine. I have never subscribed to that mag, heck I haven't even looked at that brand since I turned old enough to buy 'em. That's clue number one that tells me that the info may have survived because I have otherwise been extremely careful with my info.
   
   All I have to say about it is, if the free monitoring shows problems who is going to pay to clean it up?

    

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7.  

   

   JerseyRich, Jun 26th, 2006 @ 3:45pm

   
   

   Instead of letters to those whose info was stolen, why doesn't the government send letters to its employees and contractors who have the data and tell them to not take it home on laptops?
   
   For example:
   
   Dear Overbenefitted Employee:
   
   Don't be a d**k and place sensitive personal data belonging to US citizens on your laptop - or anywhere else besides your desktop. Got it?
   
   Love,
   
   Uncle Sam
   
   P.S. Get back to work, don't leave until 5:00, and do something, dammit!

    

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8.  

   

   Anonymous Coward, Jun 27th, 2006 @ 8:53am

   
   

   Re: JerseyRich

   I don't see how you can call any government employee overbenefitted. Yes we get benefits. Their value is roughly half of the pay we don't get compared to most private sector jobs of the same fields. The other half of the pay we don't get is "security money" that ensures that we keep our "job security."
   
   One of the few jobs that I know of that actually gets paid close to private sector rates is Postal Service because they have to directly compete with DHL, UPS, FEDEX, and other parcel carriers for "less training required" employees. The only exception to the rule of thumb of government employees getting less pay to make up for cost of benefits that "I" know of is the politicians and their croneys. But then again, the suits always make more even in the private sector.

    

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