Posted on 06/29/2006 7:43:13 AM PDT by Smogger
Edited on 06/29/2006 8:37:07 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
VA chief says missing laptop containing vets' data has been found.
Update:
WASHINGTON - The missing laptop and hard drive that contained veterans' personal information has been found, Veterans Administration Chief Jim Nicholson announced Thursday.
The announcement came at the beginning of a hearing before the House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing.
"It was confirmed to me by the deputy attorney general that law enforcement has in their possession the ... laptop and hard drive," Nicholson said in a statement at the hearing. "The serial numbers match."
Experts were conducting forensic tests on the laptop and hard drive, Nicholson said. It was not immediately clear if the data on the equipment had been copied or compromised, but Nicholson said "there is reason to be optimistic."
He did not say how the equipment was recovered, on where it's been during the past two months. The equipment was found Wednesday; Nicholson said he wasn't aware of any arrests made in connection with the incident.
An FBI spokesman said the laptop computer was recovered "in the area," but could not provide more specific information...
Excerpt. Read more at: MSNBC
Great game per Mr. Tiggywinkle. :o)
My hubby did too.
I used the words "the" and "and" the other day. I am sorry and I hope MSNBC doesn't sue ;)
I was here when that whole thing exploded... but it can get frustrating, especially when you can't get to the source material.
Did they really recover the laptop? Or did they simply download the data from a Russian pron site?
FBI Says Data on VA Laptop Not Accessed
The government has recovered the stolen laptop computer and hard drive with sensitive data on up to 26.5 million veterans and military personnel. The FBI said Thursday there is no evidence that anyone accessed Social Security numbers and other data on the equipment.
Just to be on the safe side, I did put a fraud alert on my account for three months. NOW if we can just keep the dumb #$@$#@$ government employees to be MORE security conscious.
And they will include all of the names and social security numbers so that you can match your data just to be sure it is safe /s.
Given the potential loss to the FedGov (remember the class action lawsuit you did not sign on to?) I find it *difficult* to believe that the loptop was found and the "data had not been accessed".
I'll wait for more details before I uncage my BS meter - to avoid damage to the needle.
What "evidence" would there be? The whole hard drive could be copied without leaving any evidence.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/06/29/vets.security.ap/index.html
The FBI, in a statement from its Baltimore field office, said a preliminary review of the equipment by its computer forensic teams "has determined that the data base remains intact and has not been accessed since it was stolen."
This is an INTERESTING paragraph in that article.
Newly discovered documents show that the VA analyst blamed for losing the laptop had received permission to work from home on data that included millions of Social Security numbers.
Aaarrr
Sack the lot of 'em!
Nope...not enhanced at all.
I should apologize to the moderator for posting it. I've been on threads before that got pulled because the conversation got out of hand. I noticed they pulled the post with the picture, which is okay. It wasn't really germaine to the topic, I was just being silly.
It is just when it comes to the topic of the SandBurgler and that crowd, I have to do something to lighten it up, otherwise I feel anger.
About the picture, there is a whole story that is kind of funny. Cheney had stopped at a famous frozen custard place (in Minnesota or Wisconsin, I think) on a campaign tour. When he arrived, the owner offered him a cup of the product, which Cheney proceeded to eat after he had sat down. There was a photographer and reporter from a regional paper doing an article on Cheney for the glossy feature insert for their Sunday edition. The photographer took the picture and submitted it along with others. It was chosen and placed on the front of the insert, and nobody noticed the...er..."artifact" until after it was printed and distributed. They actually sent people around to try and retrieve the insert, but many had already gone out.
It is not Photoshopped...I actually got the picture from a library in my state that had a copy of the insert in their newspaper section. I considered stealing it, but...the First Lady is a Librarian, and you never know what kind of penalties could be forthcoming.
bttt
FYI Updated: VA chief says laptop with vets data recovered
He was fired.
me, too.
and i'm a little "amazed" that the announcement that the employee had clearance to take that info home with him came less than 24 hours before there is an announcement that it had been "found". i smell bullcrap.
"I got a letter saying my info was on that laptop."
Likewise.
Maybe it was in his closet the whole time. It would be a major relief to find that it was never stolen in the first place. It's only a minor relief knowing they have it back. We still don't know what was done with our information.
Sorry. That was excerpted from the first article I found on MSNBC. Kinda water under the bridge now as the article is not there anymore.
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