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Home Front: Politix
VA Worker Had OK for Data Later Stolen
2006-06-29
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Veterans Affairs worker faulted for losing veterans' personal information had permission to access millions of Social Security numbers on a laptop from home, agency documents obtained by The Associated Press show. The documents show that the data analyst, whose name was being withheld, had approval as early as Sept. 5, 2002, to use special software at home that was designed to manipulate large amounts of data.

A separate agreement, dated Feb. 5, 2002, from the office of the assistant secretary for policy and planning, allowed the worker to access Social Security numbers for millions of veterans. A third document, also issued in 2002, gave the analyst permission to take a laptop computer and accessories for work outside of the VA building. "These data are protected under the Privacy Act," one document states. The analyst is the "lead programmer within the Policy Analysis Service and as such needs access to real Social Security numbers."
Just unbelievable. Any other security measures willingly cast aside?
The department said last month it was in the process of firing the data analyst, who is now challenging the dismissal.
Of course he is. He's not the only stooopid one in this mess, he's just the only one being fired.
VA officials have said the firing was justified because the analyst violated department procedure by taking the data home; they also said he was "grossly negligent" in handling sensitive information.
So why was he given permission?
Lawmakers expressed dismay over the latest disclosure. They noted that the analyst immediately notified his supervisors after the theft from his suburban Maryland home, but supervisors delayed publicizing the crime until May 22. Nicholson was informed on May 16. "The gross negligence in this case are the people above him," said Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., the acting top Democrat on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. "They gave him express permission to take the information home. When it was stolen, he reported it right away."

"They're trying to pin it on this one guy, but I think it's other people we need to be looking at," he said. A spokesman for the VA did not have immediate comment Wednesday.
Posted by:Steve White

#11  If the computer security is correctly set up, it works great. The knee-jerk would disappear if you tried it in a place with high-caliber SysAdmin staff - trust me.

At the last company I worked for, about 50% of its employees were telecommuters. The required floorspace, desks and such was reduced by about 35% - they created the remaining 15% which were set up as "hot seats", i.e. no permanent occupant - available for when you needed to physically be in the office. There were lots of smallish conference rooms - all walls were the dry-marker boards - and special team meetings were the normal reason for most of us to ever go in. The rest of the time, it was teleconferenced with video / audio. We even had our own company "television channel" (TVIP) on our network.
Posted by: Crolump Glereper5426   2006-06-29 18:38  

#10  What a bunch of idiots...
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2006-06-29 18:23  

#9  Yes, telecommuting is the wave of the future. :/
Posted by: Seafarious   2006-06-29 11:35  

#8  A gummit worker working from home.... something sounds fishy.

VPN is available to the white collar professionals in my federal organization. Quite common, actually.
Posted by: "govt worker"   2006-06-29 11:23  

#7  Who has been fired? These incompetent and extremely stupid bastards just carry on. There are and will be no penalties. Just more bags of hot air. There is not one department of the government that is competent. Ahhh, maybe Defense is still functional, but some of their calls bring them into question.
Posted by: SOP35/Rat   2006-06-29 11:21  

#6  Foxalert - Pentagon has retrieved the stolen laptop

no answers whether the data was copied, though..
Posted by: Frank G   2006-06-29 10:58  

#5  my thought too, Beoseker. This whole thing is kinda wierd. Espionage?
Posted by: 2b   2006-06-29 09:54  

#4  A gummit worker working from home.... something sounds fishy.
Posted by: Besoeker   2006-06-29 09:34  

#3  The question is whether he was given permission to access the data on VA computers via a virtual private network connection (secure) or whether he was given permission to KEEP the info on his own laptop.

The first is perfectly safe. The latter is a serious violation.
Posted by: lotp   2006-06-29 09:32  

#2  The Veterans Affairs worker faulted for losing veterans' personal information had permission to access millions of Social Security numbers on a laptop from home, agency documents obtained by The Associated Press show.

It's from the AP, so give this a bit of salt before the retraction/correction. It's their style.

However, knowing the stupidity of 'suprevisors and managers' when it comes to practicing safe security, and the laziness with which they deal with this type of stuff until someone is made an example of, I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out true.
Posted by: Sniper Chease8428   2006-06-29 09:23  

#1  "They gave him express permission to take the information home. When it was stolen, he reported it right away."


no wun ever wantsta sleeng em dung up hill, but ima theenkerin moren this guyz to be blaymed.
Posted by: muck4doo   2006-06-29 04:14  

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