Guard data left in area hit by thefts

BOISE – Personal information on every active Idaho National Guard member that was stolen this week was left in a car parked overnight in a Boise neighborhood where multiple car burglaries have been reported recently.

The Idaho National Guard says its employee – who also lost her laptop computer, cell phone, luggage and personal items – violated no policies and faces no sanction.

“There is no policy that says you can’t carry computer equipment in your car,” Lt. Col. Stephanie Dowling said.

But the Idaho Military Division promised an immediate review of its processes for handling personal information.

The thumb drive containing names, addresses, dates of birth and Social Security numbers for about 3,400 Idaho Guard members was among several items taken in a string of car burglaries in Boise’s Columbia Village neighborhood early Tuesday. Other stolen items included car stereos and a wallet. Two similar vehicle burglaries were reported in the same area last week.

Boise police spokesman Charles McClure said, “It didn’t target that vehicle specifically – the person may not even know what they took.”

In all four cases, the vehicles either were unlocked or had their windows rolled down far enough to give the thieves access. Police said the thefts occurred in the late night or early morning hours, likely after 1 a.m.

“There were no signs of forced entry,” McClure said.

Dowling said Guard staffers travel around the state and often need to bring computer equipment and data. The Guard is based in Boise but has armories statewide, and workers need the data to provide services to far-flung members.

“Right now our concern is safeguarding that information and stopping any potential mischief,” Gov. Butch Otter said Wednesday. “Our office stands ready to help in any way.”

Brett DeLange, chief of the Consumer Protection Unit for the Idaho attorney general’s office, said thefts of large batches of personal information have become increasingly common.

“Nationally, there have been scores and scores of companies that have had their data stolen, sometimes through really clever thieves, and sometimes through the incompetence of the business not having safeguards in place to protect this information,” DeLange said.

The attorney general’s office publishes an online manual for avoiding or coping with identity theft, and DeLange recommended it to anyone affected. “Particularly where Social Security numbers are stolen, the risk of identity theft goes up greatly, because Social Security numbers are linchpins to developing new identities in your name – credit applications, loans, all sorts of things,” he said.

DeLange added, “If this were me, I would be putting a fraud alert on my credit report.”

Such an alert lasts 90 days and could slow the process of applying for new loans, he said. “It requires creditors to do additional procedures to make sure it’s you.”

Dowling said the Idaho Guard follows Army policies. But in a statement posted on its Web site Wednesday, the Guard promised a full review of its procedures for handling personal information to make sure they comply with Army and Department of Defense policies.

Maj. Gen. Larry Lafrenz, commanding general of the Idaho Guard, told Guard members in a statement, “I am deeply saddened by any concern or anxiety this incident may cause you and your families. I appreciate your service to your state and country and want you to know we are working diligently to protect you from any harm as a result of this incident.”

Michelle Kish, of Hayden, whose husband, Mike, is a master sergeant in the Guard, said, “We really weren’t too worried about it. We watch our accounts anyway.”

Sgt. Jason Nelsen was at the National Guard Armory in Post Falls on Wednesday calling members of the Alpha Company to warn them about the theft. Those he spoke with were taking the news well, he said.

“What was taken wasn’t exactly something that is easy to read,” Nelsen said. A special program is needed to access the information, he said.

Nelsen said members of the military use their Social Security numbers so often that the release of the information might not be too alarming.

“Everything we do revolves around it,” he said.

DeLange said, “Mistakes happen; certainly things are forgotten. But any responsible entity is going to want to take steps to protect the confidentiality of its customers or its employees or its service members’ information, and they should. Because the harm can be great for individuals.”