Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity
    • Database
    • Networking

    Hacked Laptop Causes Data Breach at Pentagon Federal Credit Union

    Written by

    Fahmida Y. Rashid
    Published January 14, 2011
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      An infected laptop was used to access the systems at the Pentagon’s credit union, exposing the financial records of the members of the United States military, according to a Kaspersky Lab report.

      The Pentagon Federal Credit Union notified the New Hampshire Attorney General of the breach, and said names, addresses, social security numbers, bank and credit card information of its members were compromised, said Paul Roberts, editor of Kaspersky Lab’s ThreatPost.com site. New Hampshire law requires that all companies report all breaches that involve its residents. Massachusetts has a similar law.

      At this point, the full extent of the breach is not known, but so far 514 New Hampshire residents have been affected. It’s hard to determine the magnitude, based on just one state. As Roberts pointed out, a data breach of the tour company Twin America affected around 300 New Hampshire residents but 100,000 people nationally.

      The credit union discovered on Dec. 12 that someone had hacked a laptop on its network. Along with the personal information, the malware allowed attackers to see information relating to former members, joint account holders and beneficiaries. That vulnerability has been closed and steps have been taken to prevent a similar breach, according to Roberts.

      “We have no indication that your information has been misused,” Roderick Mitchell, PenFed’s executive vice president of operations, wrote in a letter mailed to customers. No PINs or passwords were accessed, Mitchell wrote. Even so, PenFed has already re-issued all credit and debit cards to members whose account information was affected.

      The Identity Theft Resource Center reported that data breaches in general rose 33 percent in 2010 from the previous year. A separate report from the Department of Defense found that identity theft targeting government employees and classified networks may be on the rise because it was a “low cost high gain” method to obtain sensitive or classified technology and information. Targeted “phishing e-mail messages” were among the cyber-tools being used, the report said.

      PenFed serves members in the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. With about $15 billion in assets and nearly a million members, PenFed is not just for savings, as it offers mortgages and loans and issues its own credit cards.

      This isn’t the first time PenFed has been targeted. The credit union posted an alert on its Website notifying users that a person who was calling members to say their mortgages were being sold and requesting personal information was fraudulently masquerading as a PenFed underwriter.

      Fahmida Y. Rashid
      Fahmida Y. Rashid

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.