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Stolen VA Laptop Recovered

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the vets-less-nervous dept.

lancejjj writes "Remember how the VA was pinning the theft of 26.5 million veterans' personal records on a hard working-but-renegade employee whose laptop was stolen? Surprise! It turns out that the employee had written permission to bring the sensitive data home. Fortunately, the laptop has been recovered. It is still unclear how the laptop was recovered, or if any of the veterans' personal data was leaked."

4 of 202 comments (clear)

  1. Why real data? by JayDot · · Score: 5, Insightful

    One of the articles quoted the permission granting documents, saying that the analyst needed real SSNs for his work. I don't understand why that would be the case. Couldn't they have generated a fake list, verified that no two numbers were alike, and assigned a bunch of random names? It seems like the whole issue could have been eliminated from the start by doing this. Also, it's just shameful the way a bunch of middle-management types are trying to shaft the analyst when he's had written permission for ~4 years.

    --
    Meh, a real sig would take too long, and I have an MMORPG to play with....
  2. Re:If he keeps his job by JayDot · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why? He had at least three written memos given express permission for him to do what he did. The problem here wasn't with the worker, it's with the policies and directors that signed the memos.

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    Meh, a real sig would take too long, and I have an MMORPG to play with....
  3. Re:Nothing taken by treeves · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I for one am relieved that the data was not accessed, since I am a veteran who received a letter saying that I might be subject to identity theft as a result of this incident.
    They gave us all a years worth of ID theft tracking service at a cost to the gov't of $(several millions?).
    If a class action law suit against the VA for this debacle is successful it will cost them a lot more than that.

    I am more than a little annoyed that they gave the guy permission to take the data home, and now they are firing him for having done so.
    In spite of my feelings, I hope such a lawsuit fails, since it will only hurt those who rely on the VA's funding for their health care, etc.
    The people who allowed this to happen certainly aren't going to give themselves a cut in pay!

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    ...the future crusty old bastards are already drinking the Kool-Aid.
  4. Re:Nothing taken by TubeSteak · · Score: 5, Funny
    Do you really believe them when they say the data was not accessed?
    FBI Analysis:
    Start ---> Documents ---> Recent Documets

    FBI Analyst #1: Doesn't seem like anyone looked at the file.
    FBI Analyst #2: I concur

    FBI Official: We are pleased to announce that it does not seem that anyone accessed the records in question.
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    [Fuck Beta]
    o0t!