VA offers credit monitoring for stolen data

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government said Wednesday it would provide free credit monitoring to millions of veterans whose personal information was stolen last month, and it acknowledged it was not close to catching those responsible.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson said the agency would seek to protect veterans and military troops against identity theft after their names, Social Security numbers and birthdates were taken from a department data analyst's home May 3.
Any of the 17.5 million people known to have had their Social Security numbers compromised will be eligible for one year of credit monitoring.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.