A Navajo veteran recently discovered a flash drive containing sensitive information about other Navajo veterans at a Farmington, N.M., laundromat.
Now, the Navajo Nation Council is getting involved.
In a press release on Tuesday, the council said it’s taking steps to secure the USB memory stick. It allegedly contains the confidential details of Navajo veterans, like their Social Security information, identification documents, W-9 forms, financial assistance applications and direct deposit information.
“The Navajo Nation Council has taken action to protect the privacy and trust of our veterans,” said Speaker Crystalyne Curley in the press release. “Given the nature and apparent scope of the information involved, this potential data breach requires prompt and serious attention. We must ensure the appropriate authorities determine what happened, assess the potential impact and take the necessary steps to protect veterans whose confidential information may have been compromised.”
The press release states that the identity of the veteran who found the USB is being withheld “due to concerns about potential retaliation.”
The USB was taken to the FBI field office in Farmington for safekeeping on Tuesday while the council works to determine who’s responsible for the potential breach.
