"Curious" Navy sailor tried to access Biden's medical records as colleagues "freaked out," investigation shows

[ad_1] Pushed by "curiosity," a U.S. Navy corpsman tried to entry President Biden's medical information final 12 months following a gaggle dialogue together with his colleagues about navy safety protocols for utilizing authorities computer systems, in accordance with the federal prison investigation obtained by CBS Information.

In July, CBS Information reported a junior U.S. Navy sailor tried to achieve entry to Mr. Biden's medical information however was unable to take action and was subsequently administratively reprimanded for the unauthorized question.

CBS Information filed a Freedom of Info Act request with the Naval Prison Investigative Service, the civilian legislation enforcement company chargeable for prison investigations throughout the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. On Friday, NCIS launched its closed investigation to CBS Information.

The investigation particulars how a low-ranking U.S. Navy corpsman tried to entry the president's medical information and the penalty he acquired for doing so — a nonjudicial punishment for dereliction of obligation below the Uniform Code of Army Justice, the legal guidelines and rules governing the U.S. navy.

The corpsman, whose identify the Navy won't disclose, was demoted in rank to E-2 from E-3, given 20 days of additional obligation and solely acquired half pay for the subsequent six months. Base pay for an E-2 with two to a few years of service is roughly $2,260 per 30 days.

On the afternoon of Feb. 22, in accordance with the NCIS paperwork, the Navy corpsman sat at his desk, surrounded by the regular hum of computer systems and the murmurs of his coworkers on the Naval Medical Readiness and Coaching Middle at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. A civilian described as a licensed nurse and a U.S. Military soldier labored close by.

The scene was customary bureaucratic fare till a close-by colleague left her workstation, leaving her Frequent Entry Card, or CAC, behind — which was nonetheless logged into her account. This small, unassuming piece of plastic, roughly the dimensions of a bank card, is described by the Protection Division as a "sensible" key, granting entry to all the pieces from locked doorways to navy laptop networks.

The group of medical professionals struck up a dialog and began speaking in regards to the safety threat of leaving a CAC unattended in a pc.

One of many unnamed people identified the obtrusive vulnerability: "Somebody might maliciously use your CAC once you stroll away," they mentioned, in accordance with the narrative of the group dialogue throughout the NCIS investigation.

One other voice within the group floated the concept somebody might use an unattended CAC account to listen in on the president's medical information. The notion hung within the air. The Navy corpsman responded with obvious disbelief — might he truly pull up the medical information for the president of the USA? He determined to check it, in accordance with the NCIS investigation.

The Navy corpsman informed NCIS investigators he was pushed by curiosity, so he pulled up the affected person search database within the Genesis Medical Well being System — the database for the navy medical system — and typed within the identify "Joseph Biden."

An excerpt from the Naval Prison Investigative Service report on its investigation, with names redacted by NCIS. Obtained by CBS Information

A single report with the identify "Joseph Biden" appeared, with a birthdate connected. The NCIS investigation acknowledged that when the file popped up, the Navy corpsman and his coworkers have been "freaked out," with one in every of his colleagues strolling away from the pc.

The Navy corpsman then turned to Google to search for Mr. Biden's birthdate, and noticed that it matched the birthdate on the medical file. He clicked into the report to see what info was inside.

The corpsman would later inform NCIS investigators that "there was not a whole lot of info within the report, besides two situations," and "[he] didn't bear in mind the specifics of the situations, however remembered a physician's identify was listed." The corpsman turned to Google once more and looked for the identify of Mr. Biden's physician, which didn't match the identify listed on the Genesis report, in accordance with the investigation.

The corpsman informed NCIS brokers that he realized at this level he ought to cease trying on the report and closed out the file. A forensic evaluation confirmed that the "Joseph Biden" file was accessed for about 20 seconds, between 1:22 p.m. and 1:23 p.m.

A feminine colleague, who was conscious the corpsman searched the system for the president, suggested him to report himself to his supervisor. The corpsman acknowledged he knew he was going to be reported for violating the Well being Insurance coverage Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, the federal legislation designed to guard sufferers' well being info.

He did not instantly report himself, however informed investigators he felt responsible so he reported himself the subsequent morning. By then, nevertheless, one other colleague had already reported the violation up the chain of command. The corpsman waived his rights and confessed to accessing the report out of curiosity.

The corpsman mentioned he didn't "print, save, e mail, obtain, {photograph}, or in any other case doc the report." One other colleague informed investigators they'd by no means heard the corpsman categorical "something about his political views or background," and that he was "nonchalant" till the file popped up, describing him as "freaked out."

The Naval Prison Investigative Service launched its investigation on Feb. 26. On Feb. 27, the deputy director of the White Home medical unit — recognized as a U.S. Military officer within the NCIS report — informed investigators that the report accessed by the corpsman was not a respectable digital well being report of the president.

The president was knowledgeable in regards to the sailor's makes an attempt to entry his medical information inside hours of White Home workers being notified in regards to the tried breach by the Protection Division, a White Home official informed CBS Information in July.

The president underwent his annual bodily at Walter Reed on Feb. 28, two days after the Navy's prison investigation started. The president was deemed " match for obligation " by his physician after the bodily that lasted about two and a half hours.

NCIS brokers additionally regarded by means of the corpsman's social media accounts. Brokers discovered that his profile image on Instagram, when run although a reverse picture search, "revealed imagery probably related to the web 'hactivist' group Nameless." It isn't clear from the investigation if any precise hyperlink was confirmed by NCIS brokers between the corpsman and Nameless.

The corpsman's MSI laptop computer and Apple iPhone have been seized by NCIS investigators, with the corpsman cooperating absolutely. The laptop computer's web browser historical past confirmed that the sailor carried out searches for "Biden, Physician, Flights, Nameless, President, POTUS." A textual content message exhibits the corpsman telling an unnamed individual that he "regarded up Joe Biden." The laptop computer and telephone have been later returned.

Not one of the others current throughout the incident are reported to have been disciplined.

Learn the NCIS investigative report right here:

Extra from CBS Information

James LaPorta

James LaPorta is a verification producer with CBS Information Confirmed. He's a former U.S. Marine infantryman and veteran of the Afghanistan struggle.