FAA computer breached: 45,000 names accessed

Here's today's government security breach: Someone hacked into a Federal Aviation Administration computer last week and accessed the names and Social Security numbers of 45,000 employees and retirees, AP reports.

The FAA said in a statement:

Two of the 48 files on the breached computer server contained personal information about more than 45,000 FAA employees and retirees who were on the FAA’s rolls as of the first week of February 2006.

The server that was accessed was not connected to the operation of the air traffic control system or any other FAA operational system, and the FAA has no indication those systems have been compromised in any way.

Employees weren't too happy. Tom Waters, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3290, told AP:

These government systems should be the best in the world and apparently they are able to be compromised. Our information technology systems people need to take a long hard look at themselves and their capabilities. This is malpractice in their world.

Waters said that although the FAA claims this is the first breach, the union had complained previuosly about members receiving anti-union mail using addresses seemingly purloined from agency files.