WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- The Pentagon said Friday Tricare patients in Texas concerned about a recent data breach will receive one year of credit monitoring and restoration services.
The Defense Department announced in a release Science Applications International Corp. has been directed to provide the credit services to manage a data breach that was reported to Tricare Management Activity on Sept. 14.
The private information of an estimated 4.9 million patients treated at military facilities in the past 20 years may have been compromised in the breach, the Pentagon said. Letters were being sent to potential victims.
"These additional proactive security measures exceed the industry standard to protect against the risk of identity theft," said TMA Deputy Director Brig. Gen. W. Bryan Gamble. "We take very seriously our responsibility to offer patients peace of mind that their credit and quality of life will be unaffected by this breach."