[Dataloss] [update] VA Missing Hard Drive in Birmingham, Ala.

[Dissent]

http://www.myfoxal.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=2348926&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on Sunday issued an update on 
the information potentially contained on a missing government-owned, 
portable hard drive used by a VA employee at a Department facility in 
Birmingham, Ala.

[...]

VA and VA's Office of Inspector General have learned that data files 
the employee was working with may have included sensitive VA-related 
information on approximately 535,000 individuals. The investigation 
has also determined that information on approximately 1.3 million 
non-VA physicians ­ both living and deceased­ could have been stored 
on the missing hard drive. It is believed though, that most of the 
physician information is readily available to the public. Some of the 
files, however, may contain sensitive information.

VA continues to examine data on the employee's work computer. The 
employee has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome 
of the investigation. VA has no information the data has been 
misused. Birmingham Update 
2/2/2/2 


[...]

Next week, VA will begin making notifications to individuals whose 
sensitive information may have been on the hard drive. VA is also 
making arrangements to provide one year of free credit monitoring to 
those whose information proves compromised.

[...]

On January 22, the employee, who works at the Birmingham (Ala.) VA 
Medical Center, reported the external hard drive was missing. On 
January 23, VA's IG was notified. The OIG opened a criminal 
investigation, sent special agents to the medical center, and 
notified the FBI. VA's Office of Information & Technology in 
Washington, D.C. also dispatched an incident response team to investigate.

[...]

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