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Return to Article: VA cuts telework, bans employee-owned computers

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  To Un-Civil Servant,

  Your dad is one of the ones I really worry about. Luckily he has you to watch out for him. How many of these older, or otherwise not in full control of their lives, vets are out there with no one to watch out for them? (And this is the second time I've had my info stolen, TRICARE and now VA.)

  About spending your money though, slight correction. Call the 800 number for one of the big three, and tell them you are a potential victim. They freeze your account for 90 days -- not long but long enough for immediate damage control. They will also pass the info to the other two credit reporting companies, who will do the same. So far no cost to you -- however, they will try to sell you their version of an identify theft protection program, just be firm and say no. The credit reporting companies will send you a follow-up letter on how to obtain your copy of your free annual credit report (so far I have gotten two of the follow up letters, and I did this last week).

  Freezing your account does some things you should be aware of. It will be harder to get instant credit, and you will probably be turned down when you try (for instance, I was turned down when I tried to buy a TV at Best Buy and sign up for their credit card at the same time, and then I had to figure out why because the person on the other end of the line could only read the computer response that said "disapproved"). This can also be good, it blocks your name from companies shopping for names and addresses of people with credit scores in the range they want to market to, high or low, so it cuts down junk mail.

  Now, Congress wants to pass a law that would prevent us from freezing our account until you become an actual victim of someone using your identity. I think someone should publish, on the internet, all the names, addresses, Social Security numbers, of every member of the legislative branch, and all of their principal staff. Then we'll see how much they think that is a good idea.

  Ted Posted June 15, 2006 8:27 AM
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  The VA got this exactly wrong. The breach occurred because he couldn't telework; so restricting telework is exactly the wrong solution. Provide more secure remote access with proper security controls and your data is less likely to walk out the front door.

  GovExec.com reader Posted June 9, 2006 10:44 AM
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  My father is 100 percent disabled (WWII) and is 80 years old, and I am a Vietnam vet. I have been going crazy trying to find out if our data was lost. I called the 1-800 number and the person on the other end didn't know anything. I asked if my personal data had been lost and the person said that she didn't know and that letters would be sent to those affected. So I waited and waited ... I finally got my letter and guess what???? The letter doesn't tell me anything!!!!! The letter says that the VA lost millions of veterans' data but doesn't tell me if my data was lost. It's a form letter that merely repeats (with less detail) what the media has been saying for weeks. What kind of idiots pay millions of dollars to set-up 1-800 numbers and spend more money on mailing letters that don't say anything helpful???? I'm furious!!!!!!

  I need to know whether or not to spend my (and my father's) hard earned money to freeze our credit accounts. Why can't the VA or Congress determine whose data was lost. I'm no computer whiz but I do know that the VA employee would have to have known what files he/she downloaded. It's literally impossible to download or copy anything onto your PC without knowing what files you need. I also know that any computer geek (with half a brain) can query the mainframe database and ask what files were copied by a particular person on a particular day. This is not rocket science!!!!!!!! Why doesn't anyone ask the hard questions??? Why are we left to dry in the wind while politicians play their games?? Why can't anyone get any answers after all these weeks???

  Un-Civil Servant

  GovExec.com reader Posted June 9, 2006 10:40 AM
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  The cows are all out of the barn. The place is on fire and Mr. Nicholson is trying desperately to shut the barn door(s). The biggest problem he has is: the barn door is gone, now what do you do? Say anything that may fool the public into thinking you are in charge and leading from the front. As usual, foresight is not a part of the leaders in this administration. They only react when they get caught.

  Let the spin begin.

  rds Posted June 9, 2006 9:41 AM
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  Do you suppose that, just maybe, if the VA and congressional officials had not turned this security breach into a such a big issue, the odds of recovering the stolen computer would have been much greater?

  It seems to me that the thief would have just sold the thing somewhere for a few bucks to buy some dope. It would not have been all that difficult to locate it. The feds made the laptop computer much more valuable if the thief had a means to sell the data. Chances are, he didn't and the computer has been hidden or destroyed because it is to hot to hock.

  Robert M. Posted June 9, 2006 6:58 AM
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  It's a terrible shame what happened and many vets, to include me, will be restless for the rest of their lives due to this breach of security. But firing the perpetrator who took the data home is just plain stupid! Talk about a major lawsuit against the VA and the taxpayers. I can already feel too much our tax dollars being sucked up in a drawn out lawsuit.

  Don't know the person, but to take work home to get the job done was most certainly known and condoned by management. I do it all the time and get thanked for it!

  Management let this person do this for more than three years and now because of a robbery he is the sacrificial lamb. Both he and management were wrong because of the type of data he had, but he was most likely performing in good faith with knowing approval from his superiors. However, management allowed him, and who knows how many others, (they will be witnesses) to continue with his after hour work to meet the goals of the mission.

  Now, after three years and an incident that exposed this type of practice, he gets fired! If they fire him they had better fire every manager from him on up!

  Ever heard of the term "past practice"?

  Dave Posted June 8, 2006 11:31 PM