Why Steal Social Security Numbers, When You Can Get Them For Free?
If you slap the happiest face possible on the recent theft of over 26 million veterans' Social Security Numbers, the outcome was the result of a stunning confluence of incompetence, happenstance and aggression. At the least, it required:
* bad network security;
* lax privacy administration;
* a stupid renegade employee, and;
* an enterprising burglar.
In other words, it took a village to steal those identities, and the thief can expect a long stay at a federal resort if nabbed. The same risk of incarceration confronts every perp who breaks into a college, government or business database seeking credit cards and Social Security Numbers. Seems pretty dumb, when you can pickup names, addresses and Social Security Numbers without stealing them.
