You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Home Front: Politix
Vet Affairs says another PC with veterans' data missing
2006-08-08
Ohfergawdsakes.
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said on Monday that a desktop computer with personal data on as many as 38,000 U.S. military veterans had disappeared from Unisys Corp., a subcontractor.

Disclosure of the breach comes three days after authorities arrested two teenagers in the theft of a laptop and hard drive containing sensitive data on as many as 26.5 million veterans and military personnel. The equipment in that case, turned in to authorities on June 28, was stolen May 3 during a burglary of a VA employee's home, authorities said.

In the latest case, Unisys told the VA on August 3 that the computer was missing from the company's offices in Reston, Virginia, the VA said. The VA and Unisys said the data may include names, addresses, Social Security numbers and dates of birth. The data do not contain personal financial information, Unisys said in a statement, but the VA said it may include patients' insurance carriers and billing information, dates of military service and claims information that may include some medical information.
Nope, no personal financial information, just all the ID you need to get the personal financial information.
The VA's inspector general, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and local law enforcement agencies "are conducting a thorough investigation of this matter," Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James Nicholson said in a statement.
Jim, it's time for you to go ...
The agency said it believes the records concern about 5,000 patients treated at the VA medical center in Philadelphia and about 11,000 seen at a VA facility in Pittsburgh over the past four years, as well as about 2,000 deceased veterans. The agency said it is also investigating whether the computer contained information on about another 20,000 people who were treated at the Pittsburgh medical center.

Unisys said it had launched a "comprehensive search and investigation" and was working with the VA and law enforcement agencies investigating the incident.
... and it's time for a new contractor ...
Posted by:Steve White

#5  What has to go is the automatic linking of SSNs to names in the military. Given the amount of data and the number of people involved, it would be almost impossible to keep this stuff from getting stolen unless we want to make names and SSNs classified.

Last year, my reserve center sent out a list of everyone eligible for some gedunk War on Terror/Poverty/Obesity ribbon. 150 personnel: full names, ranks and SSNs. Unclassified, these papers could be seen floating around everywhere in the building. Makes me want to...write a strongly worded letter to SECDEF.
Posted by: Dreadnought   2006-08-08 23:02  

#4  This is really getting disgusting. Someone's head needs to go
Posted by: Captain America   2006-08-08 21:07  

#3  Contractors, why do they hate us?
Posted by: Besoeker   2006-08-08 07:56  

#2  Is there some sort of graphic that has both the three stooges and a revolving door? :-)
Posted by: gorb   2006-08-08 01:51  

#1  Steve, I would like to politley correct your in-line: "Jim, it's PAST time for you to go."
Or to put it another way that may be more familiar to the regulars: " You're Dead (professionally), Jim."
Posted by: USN,Ret   2006-08-08 00:51  

00:00