Gridskipper

John, Hillary, and Barack may not be the only Americans whose passports were accessed during recent "file breaches" at the US State Department. The AP has said that the late Anna Nicole Smith's passport was also viewed, although it seems to have been the result of a valid request made on behalf of the US embassy in the Bahamas following her death. State department officials said that several hundred US citizens' "passport files are flagged for extra protection because of their prominence," and that includes politicians, entertainers and athletes. Concerns have risen as passports not only include personal information such as date and place of birth, but also one's social security number — and that can be used to help gain personal information such as credit records. [BBC]