VA’s
Information Security Fails Again:
Filner Critical of Loss of Unprotected Records
Washington, D.C. – House VA Committee Chairman Bob Filner
(D-CA) expressed grave concern regarding a recent revelation
by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that a portable
computer hard drive, potentially containing personal
information on veterans, was reported missing by an employee
at a VA facility in Birmingham, AL. The scope of this
incident and the number of veterans potentially adversely
affected remains unknown. Filner is concerned that even one
government-owned portable storage device at VA was still not
fully encrypted or protected following the 2006 incident
when VA reported a possible loss of personal information on
over 26 million veterans.
“There is no excuse for storing sensitive personal
information about our veterans on portable, government
equipment that is not secure,” observed Filner. “This type
of problem happened last May and we were very lucky to
recover that hard drive – we are not always going to be that
fortunate,” he concluded.
In
2006, the House Veterans Affairs Committee launched a robust
series of non-partisan hearings to explore that particular
incident and passed legislation to address this issue at VA.
Filner vows to work with VA leaders to further address this
type of problem.
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