[JURIST] The US Navy [official website] announced [text] Friday that it has begun a criminal investigation into how information containing Social Security numbers and other personal data for 28,000 sailors was found on a civilian Web site. Although the information has been removed, the Navy did not identify the Web site or its owner, nor did it explain how the information was placed on the site.

This investigation follows an announcement [text, DOC] earlier this month by the US Veteran Affairs Department [official website] that as many as 26.5 million veterans and current military troops may have had information regarding their Social Security numbers and birth dates compromised following the theft of an employee's home in early May. More recently, a data theft at the US Department of Agriculture [official website] may have disclosed the names, Social Security numbers, and photos of over 25,000 Washington-area employees [USDA press release]. AP has more.