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VA CONTRACTS WITH FIRM TO CONDUCT DATA BREACH
ANALYSIS --
ID Analytics will analyze VA data and compare
it to its fraud
prevention system. Will provide free reports to
veterans
and VA if suspicious activity is found.
All information on VA data theft on this
page...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/va%20data%20theft%20news.htm
We have a press release from the VA and
from ID Analytics.
They are a little vague on some things,
but we have this quote from the AP that settle a few issues:
"ID Analytics will provide an initial analysis of several industries to
determine if there has been any suspicious activity involving the
veterans' information. It will then provide followup reports every three
months for an unspecified period at no cost to veterans or the
government, the VA said." That story here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/old%20newsflashes%20AUG%2006/newsflash08-10-2006-1.htm
VA press release here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/vapressrelease/vapressrelease08-09-06.htm
Press release below:
---------------
VA Secretary Announces Agreement on Data Breach
Analysis
August 9, 2006
ID Analytics to Provide Services to Department
WASHINGTON -- Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James Nicholson today
announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has entered into an
agreement with a company that will provide free data breach analysis
services to VA to ensure that information contained on computer
equipment stolen in May from a VA employee’s home – and later recovered
by law enforcement – was not compromised.
ID Analytics, a California-based company, will conduct the analysis
across multiple industries to detect patterns of misuse and determine
whether or not there is any suspicious activity specifically related to
this computer equipment theft. The company will provide VA an initial
analysis, and will then continue to offer its assessments on a quarterly
basis.
“Protecting veterans from fraud and abuse remains an important priority
for VA,” said Secretary Nicholson. “Data breach analysis will provide VA
with additional assurances that veterans’ personal information remains
unharmed.”
On July 13, the FBI indicated it is highly confident the data stored on
the recovered computer equipment was not accessed or compromised. On
August 5, Montgomery County, Md., Police announced the arrests of two
men they believe are responsible for the theft. According to law
enforcement authorities, the arrested men did not specifically target
the computer equipment. Authorities also provided reassurances that the
information was not compromised.
Prior to the arrests, VA indicated that, out of an abundance of caution
and to further safeguard the recovered information, the Department would
conduct data breach analysis. VA’s agreement with ID Analytics fulfills
this commitment.
ID Analytics’ real-time system comprises more than three billion
identity elements contributed by its members, which include the largest
U.S. industry leaders from across the credit card, wireless
telecommunications, and instant lending industries. ID Analytics’
services are used daily by more than half the credit and retail card
issuer market in the United States, as well as leading wireless and
online consumer finance companies.
Secretary Nicholson also reiterated VA’s commitment to improving the
Department’s information technology and cyber security policies and
procedures.
“VA remains unwavering in its resolve to become the leader in protecting
personal information, training and educating our employees in best
practices, and establishing a culture that always puts the safekeeping
of veterans’ personal information first,” Nicholson said.
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ID Analytics press release here...
http://www.idanalytics.com/news_and_events/20060809.html
Press release below:
---------------
ID Analytics Will Support Veterans Affairs by Providing Ongoing Breach
Analysis to Further Safeguard Veterans' Personal Information
Technology to Determine if any of the Recovered Data are Being Misused
SAN DIEGO, CA, August 9, 2006 - ID Analytics Inc., the Identity Risk
Management technology company, today announced that the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) has accepted the company's offer to provide its
unique breach analysis services to analyze the Department's recent data
breach involving the identity information of millions of veterans and
service members. This analysis will monitor the data breach file on an
ongoing basis to ensure that there is no organized misuse of the
information.
"Our technology will provide veterans with an additional layer of
protection against identity theft by proactively monitoring identity
information from the recovered computer equipment for fraudulent
misuse," said Bruce Hansen, chairman and CEO of ID Analytics. "By
applying our technology against a file of breached data, we can
determine that there is no organized misuse stemming from the
compromised data evident in our ID Network."
VA has requested that ID Analytics advise it on an ongoing basis as to
whether there is any organized misuse of the VA data.
ID Analytics will compare the VA breach file against data in its ID
Network™, the nation's first and only real-time fraud prevention system.
ID Analytics' sophisticated Graph Theoretic Anomaly Detection (GTAD®)
technology will work within the ID Network to detect patterns of
suspicious behavior in relationship to the breached VA data. The ID
Network comprises more than three billion identity elements contributed
by its members, which include the largest US industry leaders from
across the credit card, wireless telecommunications, and instant lending
industries. It is only through the ID Network that these suspicious
patterns can be tracked in real time, across multiple industries.
"When fraudsters use stolen identity information for financial gain,
they typically leave tell-tale signs that are detectable only through
the ID Network," added ID Analytics' Hansen. "They might change
addresses or phone numbers when they use those identities to open new
bank accounts, obtain mobile phones or secure credit cards. Without our
technology, this identity manipulation often appears benign. But by
applying deep analytics across multiple companies and industries, we are
able to identify systematic misuse of data sets such as the VA breach
file."
ID Analytics can also produce a list of any impacted identities along
with details on the patterns of misuse, allowing a breached organization
to deliver victim assistance directly to those that need it. Moreover,
if misuse is found, information discovered during the analysis of the
breached file will be provided to law enforcement so that they can
apprehend those individuals who may decide to misuse identities.
About ID Analytics, Inc.
ID Analytics is the Identity Risk Management
company providing advanced analytic solutions that prevent identity
fraud and manage identity risk across the customer lifecycle. ID
Analytics' intelligent ID Network™, the first and only real-time
national network built exclusively to manage identity risk, makes it
possible for organizations to calculate the risk associated with an
identity and balance identity risk against profit. The ID Network is in
use daily by over half the credit and retail card issuer market in the
US, as well as leading wireless and online consumer finance companies.
To empower consumers and to help more organizations in more industries
to fight identity fraud, ID Analytics has channel partners in the
bankcard, credit reporting and retail banking industries. ID Analytics,
host of Identity 2006, the annual Identity Risk Management Conference
Sept. 18-21, is based in San Diego with offices throughout the US and
the UK.
For More Information Contact:
Stacy Peña
Rainmaker Communications
+1.650.965.2985
stacy@rainmakercommunications.com
Karen Stadelmeier
ID Analytics
+1.858.312.6244
kstadelmeier@idanalytics.com
ID Analytics is a trademark of ID Analytics, Inc. All other trademarks
and registered trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
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Larry Scott
