VA loses another computer with personal info

[IDemo]

Subcontractor Unisys can't find desktop with up to 38,000 vets' data

By Bob Sullivan
MSNBC
Updated: 5:39 p.m. ET Aug. 7, 2006

Another computer with veterans' personal information is missing, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday.

This time, information on as many as 38,000 living and deceased veterans was on the computer, which was lost by outside contractor Unisys.

Officials at the Reston, Va., company notified the VA that that desktop computer was missing on Aug. 3, the VA says. Unisys had been hired to help with insurance collections at VA medical centers in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Included on the computer were veterans' names, addresses, Social Security Numbers, dates of birth, insurance carriers and billing information, dates of military service, and claims data, which may include some medical information, the VA said on its Web site.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14232678/

[rainy]

1. choice point

[Anakin Skywalker]

2. What's Up

with these VA people and their little outsourcers, man? I'm starting to think these laptops should be handcuffed to their wrists or somethin'.

[MindPilot]

3. It was a desktop according to the article.

But it still points back to the fact that the VA's idea of data security seems to be "ain't nuttin gonna happen..."

[Anakin Skywalker]

6. Oops!

I missed that one word. It was hard for me to imagine someone just walking off with a desktop, ya know? Those things weigh much more than than laptops and you can't exactly hide it in a backpack sneaking out of the building. Looks like a lot of these businesses have very poor security that someone can just steal a desktop.

[Stargazer99]

4. See what outsourcing does? The IRS is bucking for outsourcing

your private tax information...wake up!

[cyberpj]

5. I firmly believe this has to do with elections folks. These are VOTES. nt

[Vidar]

12. Could be.

[anotherdrew]

7. bah

[DanCa]

8. Something has got to be done about this.

Loosing this information once is a horrible mistake, loosing it twice is a criminal act. Off with the Shrubs head. He's the commander and chief isn't he?

[paparush]

9. R U F#cking KIDDING Me?

For Allah's sake, man, enough w/ the stolen computer meme. C'mon KKKarl..think up something new.

[OKthatsIT]

10. I mean...dude...why are we going to be 'terrorized' over missing ID

...it certainly scares me thinking what they'd do with RFID.

Their 'radio trans tagging' our cars, credit cards, bank cards and ...as if that's weren't enough...their demanding we carry National RFID by 2010?

YARITE! Totally fascist.

[leesa]

11. Oh shoot! I just hate how that keeps happening! Dang.

[Klimmer]

13. These thefts of identity information are not by accident . . .

Go to Wayne Madsen's website and see. He is tracking all known incidents of identity and personal information thefts and it is staggering! It is not accidental. If those in power can't get all the information on the citizens legally, they will get it illegally. Wayne talks about a program that was started and then stopped, but now it has continued in this form --- Total Information Awareness (TIA).

I don't think the BCF and the Nazi Neo-Con Rethug Administration have good intentions with all this data. Think of all the things you can do with this info. Think about how you can control, manipulate, and make life unbelievably difficult for all your political enemies.

They are completely evil and without conscience.

[krispos42]

14. D'oh! nt