thedrifter
02-05-07, 02:16 PM
VA acts fast after hard drive lost in Alabama
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Feb 5, 2007 12:43:22 EST
The Department of Veterans Affairs is trying to determine whether the loss of a computer hard drive in Alabama warrants providing a year of credit protection to veterans whose personal information may have been on the drive.
Information on up to 48,000 people could be compromised, VA officials said.
The external hard drive containing information about ongoing research was discovered missing Thursday by an employee. The loss was reported Friday to the VA inspector general and made public late Friday.
The public announcement within one day is the kind of fast notice demanded of Congress after an incident last year in which the VA took weeks to acknowledge the loss of data on 26 million people when an employee’s laptop was stolen.
Although the VA has taken steps to encrypt data, restrict access to personal information, and remind employees about computer security, information technology experts told Congress last year that it is unrealistic to expect no future data losses.
In a statement, Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James Nicholson said he was “concerned about this report” of the latest data loss.
Three investigations are underway, Nichols said. The FBI and the VA inspector general are looking into the actual loss of the hard drive, while the VA’s office of information and technology is trying to determine exactly what is lost. “We intend to get to the bottom of this, and we will take aggressive steps to protect and assist anyone whose information may have been involved,” Nicholson said.
The external hard drive containing data on research projects has some personal information on veterans, but portions of the data are encrypted, a VA statement said. “Investigators are still working to determine the scope of the information potentially involved,” the statement said. “Pending results of the investigation, VA is prepared to send individual notifications and provide one year of free credit monitoring to those whose information proves compromised.”
Nicholson said in his statement that the VA is “unwavering in our resolve to be the leader in protecting personal information, and training and educating our employees in best practices in cyber and information security.
“We have made considerable progress, but establishing a culture that always puts the safekeeping of veterans’ personal information first is no easy task,” Nicholson said. “I have committed VA to achieving such reform — and we will. This unfortunate incident will not deter our efforts, but it underscores the complexity of the task we have undertaken.”
Ellie
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Feb 5, 2007 12:43:22 EST
The Department of Veterans Affairs is trying to determine whether the loss of a computer hard drive in Alabama warrants providing a year of credit protection to veterans whose personal information may have been on the drive.
Information on up to 48,000 people could be compromised, VA officials said.
The external hard drive containing information about ongoing research was discovered missing Thursday by an employee. The loss was reported Friday to the VA inspector general and made public late Friday.
The public announcement within one day is the kind of fast notice demanded of Congress after an incident last year in which the VA took weeks to acknowledge the loss of data on 26 million people when an employee’s laptop was stolen.
Although the VA has taken steps to encrypt data, restrict access to personal information, and remind employees about computer security, information technology experts told Congress last year that it is unrealistic to expect no future data losses.
In a statement, Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James Nicholson said he was “concerned about this report” of the latest data loss.
Three investigations are underway, Nichols said. The FBI and the VA inspector general are looking into the actual loss of the hard drive, while the VA’s office of information and technology is trying to determine exactly what is lost. “We intend to get to the bottom of this, and we will take aggressive steps to protect and assist anyone whose information may have been involved,” Nicholson said.
The external hard drive containing data on research projects has some personal information on veterans, but portions of the data are encrypted, a VA statement said. “Investigators are still working to determine the scope of the information potentially involved,” the statement said. “Pending results of the investigation, VA is prepared to send individual notifications and provide one year of free credit monitoring to those whose information proves compromised.”
Nicholson said in his statement that the VA is “unwavering in our resolve to be the leader in protecting personal information, and training and educating our employees in best practices in cyber and information security.
“We have made considerable progress, but establishing a culture that always puts the safekeeping of veterans’ personal information first is no easy task,” Nicholson said. “I have committed VA to achieving such reform — and we will. This unfortunate incident will not deter our efforts, but it underscores the complexity of the task we have undertaken.”
Ellie