On July 10, 2015, the Army National Guard announced a breach of its current and former members’ personal information, dating back to 2004. The breach occurred when files containing personal information were accidentally transferred to a non-Department of Defense data center by an employee. The data breached included members’ names, Social Security numbers, date of birth, and addresses. After an investigation, the Army National Guard has determined that it will notify affected individuals so that they can protect themselves from potential fraud and identity theft. An Army National Guard representative stated, “The issue was identified and promptly reported, and we do not believe the data will be used unlawfully. This was not a hacking incident, in which the intent was to use data for financial gain.” A website has been set up for members (www.nationalguard.mil/Features/IdentityTheft.aspx) to learn more about the breach and the potential for identity theft, as well as a toll-free hotline (877-276-4729). The Army National Guard says that this breach is unrelated to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) breach.
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