Washington, DC (June 29, 2006) - Congressman Jeff Miller (R-Fl-01) praised the finding of a stolen Department of Veterans’ Affairs laptop that contained the personal information of 26.5 Million veterans, spouses, and beneficiaries. The laptop is undergoing forensic investigations to determine whether or not the information was duplicated. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in a statement from its Baltimore field office, has said that it appears that data was not accessed.
“I believe this is good news for 100,000 veterans in Northwest Florida,” Miller said. “There is reason to be cautiously optimistic now that laptop is back in the proper hands. I applaud the efforts of law enforcement to recover this equipment.”
Veterans’ Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson said there have been no reports of identity theft since the May 3 burglary at the Maryland home of an agency employee.
"Recovering the laptop is just the first step in the process of protecting the personal information of the men and women who wore this nation’s uniform," stated Miller. "This theft revealed the massive security lapses within the Department of Veterans' Affairs. We must now work to correct the unacceptable security policies of the department, which has put millions at risk.”
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