Pentagon victim of data theft attack

The Pentagon, home of US defense, has become the latest victim of a data theft attack. As UK newspaper The Guardian and German IT newsservice heise online report, the health care information of more than 14,000 employees has been compromised. Apparently this includes credit card and social security numbers as well as private addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses.

The Pentagon's own statement (for which you have to dig deep into a website full of optimistic news coverage and a depressingly long line of statements identifying dead soldiers in Iraq) says that individuals affected have been informed by letter that the incident may put them at the risk of identity theft.