M14 Forum

Shawn L · February 3rd, 2007, 05:43 PM

Saw this on the news the other night. Can't belive it happened again.

In Birmingham, Alabama a portable hard drive with Veterans info was stolen at a VA medical center.

JGrelle · February 3rd, 2007, 07:42 PM

Whan are they going to learn? I guess that would be asking for too much.

Steve Ross · February 6th, 2007, 05:00 PM

The VA apparently was sitting on the information for at least a week, more like ten days, and the 48,000 vets whose records are missing or hacked had to find out about it in the Birmingham News. That's got the local politicos livid. It happened on January 22nd, as far as they can tell, and the News broke it last week.

Larry D. · February 9th, 2007, 05:33 AM

Any know what makes our info so *#@&% appealing these thieves?
Is some jerk gonna sell my stuff to some third world clown so he can come here and get a job, or is it something more sinister?
Is it possible that the admin types get so lax with the taxpayers computer gear that they leave it laying around for an easy snatch?
Oh look, a free laptop computer just sitting here on the counter................
Sorry for the rant folks, opinions welcomed.
Getting one letter from the VA was PLENTY!

f.2 · February 17th, 2007, 08:12 PM

Sneaker nets.

Steve Ross · February 22nd, 2007, 02:39 PM

[QUOTE=Larry D.;222248]Any know what makes our info so *#@&% appealing these thieves?
Is some jerk gonna sell my stuff to some third world clown so he can come here and get a job, or is it something more sinister?
QUOTE]

The hard drive contained mostly physician and medicare information for 535,000 vets -- give or take. This is useable in several ways for medicare or medicare fraud, billing fraud, etc.

Just this week the feds have posted a $25K reward for info on the whereabouts of the drive, and/or whoever took it. That's a heck of a lot less money, I'd think, than what the thief or thieves could make off their loot.

benthere60 · February 22nd, 2007, 09:31 PM

I cannot believe what just happened to me! I had some requested tests done at my local hospital and emailed the results to the VA Clinic where I am normally seen. The folks GOT INTO TROUBLE for accepting my email of tests to put in my file. The reason given was "the internet is not secure"! I said, Hell the VA isn't secure either, but I deal with it!
Anybody else run into anything like this?

kikilee · March 1st, 2007, 05:14 PM

I got my notification on the first go round. My info was on that one.

JIM TAYLOR · March 1st, 2007, 05:43 PM

I read somewhere that some of the V.A. work is done by private contractors.I got an e mail from the V.A. on a Saturday morning at 8:30.That makes me think that some of the work is done outside the confines of the V.A.,because they were closed.Over the years there's no telling how much info has walked.

dprice3844444 · October 7th, 2011, 02:56 PM

those fatheads need to get lojack for those puters

willriskit · October 7th, 2011, 03:07 PM

When I was a grad student in the early 70's there were under grad vets studying on the GI Bill who worked at the VA and had access to everybody's records. The privacy aspect is bad enough, but the importance of reasonably current military records information to foreign intelligence agencies could be devastating to both the vets and the nation.

Essayons · October 7th, 2011, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JGrelle

Whan are they going to learn?

Never...

Seventh Fleet · October 7th, 2011, 06:12 PM

This is just so freaking special since the Birmingham VA is the one I use.

7th