Judge rules vets can sue VA over data theft

Judge rules vets can sue VA over data theft
By Matt Apuzzo - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Nov 16, 2007 19:39:43 EST

A federal judge questioned the Veterans Affairs Department’s computer security and ruled Friday that lawsuits can go forward over the theft of computer equipment containing data on 26.5 million veterans.

U.S. District Judge James Robertson dismissed several aspects of the case but said the three lawsuits sufficiently made the claim that the agency failed to safeguard personal information, as required by the Privacy Act.

“The government’s own evidence raises serious questions about the VA’s computer safeguards,” Robertson wrote, citing government reports that faulted the agency’s computer security years before the theft.

A laptop and hard drive were stolen last year during a burglary at the home of a Veterans Affairs employee. The equipment contained the names, Social Security numbers and birth dates of veterans discharged since 1975. It was the worst-ever breach of government data.

The equipment was later recovered and the FBI said the sensitive files were neither compromised nor accessed.

In the lawsuits, veterans said they suffered embarrassment, mental distress, emotional trauma and the threat of future identity theft. Some said they also had to pay for credit-monitoring services.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/11/ap_vets_datatheft_071116/

Why do I have a feeling that the Government's eventually-proposed "solution"
will be more OUTSOURCING?