In the latest data-security breach, the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, has admitted it <A HREF="http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=51704">posted the Social Security numbers of 63,000 people</A> who received grants from the department on a government Web site.

The identifying information has been online since 1996, but was finally removed last week. The Agriculture Department is offering free credit monitoring to the affected people--at taxpayers' expense.