There’s another data breach at the Veterans Administration (VA), this time
exposing as many as 38,000 veterans to potential identity theft.
The VA also said it is working with Unisys on individual The breach was the second largest on
Unisys Corp. said Monday a desktop computer is
missing from its suburban Washington office containing the personal data on
approximately 18,000 veterans.
Unisys and the VA also said they are investigating the possibility that the
computer may contain personal information on another 20,000 veterans.
Unisys serves as a subcontractor on the VA’s collection management system.
The missing information involves veterans treated at VA medical facilities
in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and includes names, addresses, Social
Security numbers, dates of birth, insurance carriers and billing information
and dates of military service.
Unisys said the data does not include personal financial information.
“The data were used only for insurance collections management purposes and
may include insurance carrier and billing information, as well as claims data
with some medical information,” the Blue Bell, Pa.-based Unisys said in a
statement.
Both Unisys and the VA launched an immediate investigation of the missing
desktop computer after Unisys informed the VA of the breach on the afternoon
of Aug. 3.
notices to potentially affected veterans and possible offers of credit
monitoring.
This latest data breach follows a May disclosure by the VA of a stolen laptop containing personal information on
approximately 26 million veterans.
record and the biggest Social Security numbers breach ever.
Law enforcement officials subsequently recovered the laptop, and there is no
evidence any of the data was used for identity theft.
The May breach sparked a furor in Washington, prompting lawmakers to blast
the VA’s security procedures.
“We have a meltdown in VA’s information management,” House Committee on
Veterans Affairs Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) lectured VA Secretary R.
James Nicholson.
Subsequent breaches at the U.S. Department of Navy and the Department of Agriculture added to the increasing criticism government agencies are
not adequately protecting their data.
“VA is making progress to reform its
information technology and cyber security procedures, but this report of a
missing computer at a subcontractor’s secure building underscores the
complexity of the work ahead,” Nicholson said in a statement Monday.
