J.J. Evans spent 24 years in the Air Force protecting our country. Now he's angry because he says the military didn't protect his personal information. He says, "When you trust someone with that, you expect better."
Air Force officials sent Evans a letter detailing how a military laptop computer is missing and it contains personal information including social security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and telephone numbers of active and retired Air Force members. "When someone gets a hold of a computer, they can wreck things," Evans says.
The laptop belonged to an Air Force band member at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington D.C. He reported it missing from his home. Evans questions why a band member would have a computer that contained personal information. He says, "I can't think of anything job related reason."
Something else that concerns Evans - the laptop turned up missing November 19, according to the Air Force. It didn't send out the letter until nearly a month later. Evans believes the Air Force did that for a reason. He says, "If it's during the holidays, maybe no one would notice."
Evans says there is a bigger issue at hand: the amount of information that is kept not only on military members, but all Americans. "It's in the best interests of businesses and the government to know as much about us as possible. If a few people get compromised along the way, oh well; it's the cost of doing business," he says.
Air Force officials say because the laptop was under strict access control they do not believe the information could be taken. They add the Air Force is reviewing its policies and practices to determine what might need to change to prevent a similar situation in the future.