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VA LOSES ANOTHER COMPUTER HARD DRIVE THAT MAY

CONTAIN PERSONAL INFORMATION -- External drive is

missing from Birmingham VA Medical Center. Initial

reports say drive contains records of 48,000

veterans and 20,000 files were not encrypted.

 

 

Again?

Still?

But, we have the assurance of VA Secretary Nicholson:  "VA is unwavering in our resolve to be the leader in protecting personal information..."

Just remember, this is the same person who says the VA is adequately funded and adequately staffed.

We have three stories...an early report...then a report about numbers of veterans whose files could be compromised...then a VA press release.

First story here... http://www.ledger-enquirer.
com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/
local/16610737.htm

Story below:

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Hard drive missing from Birmingham VA Medical Center

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - A portable hard drive that may contain personal information on some veterans and was used by an employee at a Veterans Affairs office in Birmingham is missing and may have been stolen, the Department of Veterans Affairs said in a statement Friday.

An employee at the Birmingham VA Medical Center reported an external hard drive missing on Jan. 22. The drive was used to back up information on the employee's office computer. It may have contained data from research projects the employee was working on.

The employee also said the hard drive may have had personal information on some veterans, but he said portions of the data were protected.

"I am concerned about this report," said Jim Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs in a statement. "We intend to get to the bottom of this, and will take aggressive steps to protect and assist anyone whose information may have been involved."

He said the VA's office and the FBI are conducting a thorough investigation and that the VA's office of information technology is carrying out a separate review.

The VA has also started an administrative investigation to determine how such a breach could occur, according to the statement.

Pending results of the investigation, VA is planning to send individual notifications and to provide a year of free credit monitoring to anyone whose information is compromised.

"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," Nicholson said.

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Second story here... http://www.foxnews.com/
story/0,2933,250124,00.html

Story below:

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Officials Suspect Theft in Missing Hard Drive Containing Military Veterans' Personal Data

WASHINGTON — A portable hard drive that may contain the personal information of up to 48,000 veterans may have been stolen, the Department of Veterans Affairs and a lawmaker said Friday.

An employee at the VA medical center in Birmingham, Ala. reported the external hard drive missing on Jan. 22. The drive was used to back up information on the employee's office computer. It may have contained data from research projects, the department said.

The employee also said the hard drive may have had personal information on some veterans, although portions of the data were protected. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson said that the VA and the FBI are investigating.

Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., said that the personal information of up to 48,000 veterans was on the hard drive and the records of up to 20,000 of them were not encrypted.

Pending results of the investigation, VA is planning to send individual notifications and to provide a year of free credit monitoring to anyone whose information is compromised.

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VA press release here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/07/vap07/vap020207-2.htm

Press release below:

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VA, FBI Investigate Missing Hard Drive in Birmingham, Ala.

February 2, 2007

Nicholson Expresses Concern, Pledges “Aggressive Steps”

WASHINGTON -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced that an employee reported a government-owned, portable hard drive used by the employee at a Department facility in Birmingham, Ala. – and potentially containing personal information about some veterans – is missing and may have been stolen.

“I am concerned about this report,” said Jim Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs. “VA’s Office of Inspector General and the FBI are conducting a thorough investigation into this incident. VA’s Office of Information and Technology is conducting a separate review. 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.”

On January 22, the employee at the Birmingham VA Medical Center reported that an external hard drive was missing. The hard drive was used to back up information contained on the employee’s office computer, and may have contained data from research projects the employee was involved in. The employee also indicated the hard drive may have contained personal identifying information on some veterans, but asserts that portions of the data were protected. Investigators are still working to determine the scope of the information potentially involved.

On January 23, VA’s IG was notified the external hard drive was missing. The OIG opened a criminal investigation, sent special agents to the medical center, and notified the FBI. VA’s Office of Information & Technology in Washington, D.C. also dispatched an incident response team to investigate.

The OIG has seized the employee’s work computer and is in the process of analyzing its contents. VA IT staff is providing technical support in this effort. Analyzing the work computer may help investigators determine the nature of the information the hard drive potentially contained.

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.

In addition to the ongoing criminal investigation, the OIG has initiated an administrative investigation to determine how such an incident could occur. VA will provide further updates as the investigation produces additional information.

“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,” said Nicholson. “We have made considerable progress, but establishing a culture that always puts the safekeeping of veterans’ personal information first is no easy task. 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.”

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Larry Scott  --