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WHAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE LATEST VA

DATA LOSS -- A look at the questions

that aren't being asked.

 

 

Once again, the VA has lost the personal data of a large number of veterans.

Last year it was information on over 26 million veterans.

Now, it's something over half-a-million plus information on over 1.3 million doctors.

All information on VA data losses is here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/va%20data%20theft%20news.htm

There are many unanswered questions about last year's data theft.  What, exactly, was the VA data analyst doing with all that information?  There is a rumble going around Washington that one of the major VSOs will have an announcement about this very shortly.

And, once again this year, we are not asking the right questions about this latest data loss (or theft).

Below are a few items to think about.

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A VA researcher (or assistant) used a portable hard drive to back up data from another computer. 

What was this researcher working on?

Why was there so much personal information on one computer?

Where did this loss (or theft) occur?  Did it happen on VA property or elsewhere?  If elsewhere, why was this data taken off VA property?  Was this employee working at home?

Was this portable drive VA property?  Or, was it the personal property of the researcher?  If personal property, how could they be allowed to have a personal drive and use it to back up VA information?

Why wasn't the drive completely encrypted?  A VA IT tech recently told me that all laptops and portable devices were to be encrypted before the end of 2006.  Who missed this drive?  But, if it was a personal drive, then it makes sense that it wasn't totally encrypted.

And, the biggest question of all.  Why was this drive needed in the first place?  VA computers are backed up on VA servers.  So, there was no chance of data loss. 

The only logical reason to have a portable drive to back up data that would already be on VA servers is that the drive was taken from the workplace and being plugged into a another computer.  Another government agency?  A VA vendor?  At home?

There are lots of questions here...and no answers from the VA.

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Larry Scott  --