- Jan 24, 2011
- 9,378
The US Airline Pilots Association (USAPA) claims that national security is at risk after an US Airways employee leaked the personal information of 3,000 pilots.
The pilots' union claims it has been working with the FBI since November 2010 to determine the true extent of the breach, which US Airways has only recently acknowledged.
The leaked database included pilots' names, addresses, Social Security numbers and possibly even passport details.
The information happened to be leaked to a third-party group with the intention to undermine USAPA's position in negotiations with US Airways.
"US Airways pilots are infuriated at the data breach perpetuated by a management official of the company for which they work," said Mike Cleary, president of USAPA.
"We believe the unauthorized access to this confidential information may pose a direct threat to national security, our represented pilots' safety, and their professional standing," Cleary wrote in a letter to the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration and the FBI.
This is because leaked passport information can be coupled with the other personal details to forge a pilot's identity and potentially obtain access to commercial flights.
More details - link
The pilots' union claims it has been working with the FBI since November 2010 to determine the true extent of the breach, which US Airways has only recently acknowledged.
The leaked database included pilots' names, addresses, Social Security numbers and possibly even passport details.
The information happened to be leaked to a third-party group with the intention to undermine USAPA's position in negotiations with US Airways.
"US Airways pilots are infuriated at the data breach perpetuated by a management official of the company for which they work," said Mike Cleary, president of USAPA.
"We believe the unauthorized access to this confidential information may pose a direct threat to national security, our represented pilots' safety, and their professional standing," Cleary wrote in a letter to the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration and the FBI.
This is because leaked passport information can be coupled with the other personal details to forge a pilot's identity and potentially obtain access to commercial flights.
More details - link
