Veterans Affairs Tightens Security For Laptop Data

Because of the continuing security threats on the Veterans Affairs‘ equipment and data, the said government agency has finally stepped up to the task of upgrading its safeguards on all of its machines.

“A system-wide encryption program will be a tremendous step forward in improving the safety and security of sensitive veteran information,” VA Secretary R. James Nicholson said. The agency plans to start on the installation of a new data encryption software on its laptop, as well as desktop machines by next week. Protection will be extended as well to data on portable media, such as flash drives and CDs.

Mobile security specialists GuardianEdge and Trust Digital will provide the new encryption software. Last week, the agency also awarded a $3.7 million contract to Syracuse, NY-based company, to carry out the upgrade.

August 18 is the agency’s red-letter day for installation of the products. VA’s projected timeline is that four weeks from that date, they would have already covered 100% of their laptops, with desktop machines to follow. The products are currently undergoing its final testing.

The agency was prompted to do something about the security of their equipments with the high-profile theft of a laptop and an external hard drive that housed sensitive information on more than 26 million veterans and active military personnel. The equipment was stolen from a home of one agency employee’s home in Maryland last May. Thankfully, the laptop and hard drive were recovered in June.

Just last week, the agency said it was investigating reports of yet another theft, now of a desktop machine from the Reston, Va., offices of Unisys. Unisys is a hired subcontractor to assist the agency in insurance collections from its Pennsylvania medical centers. It is said that the computer contains information on about 38,000 veterans – 2,000 of whom are deceased.

Via CNET

Because of the continuing security threats on the Veterans Affairs‘ equipment and data, the said government agency has finally stepped up to the task of upgrading its safeguards on all of its machines.

“A system-wide encryption program will be a tremendous step forward in improving the safety and security of sensitive veteran information,” VA Secretary R. James Nicholson said. The agency plans to start on the installation of a new data encryption software on its laptop, as well as desktop machines by next week. Protection will be extended as well to data on portable media, such as flash drives and CDs.

Mobile security specialists GuardianEdge and Trust Digital will provide the new encryption software. Last week, the agency also awarded a $3.7 million contract to Syracuse, NY-based company, to carry out the upgrade.

August 18 is the agency’s red-letter day for installation of the products. VA’s projected timeline is that four weeks from that date, they would have already covered 100% of their laptops, with desktop machines to follow. The products are currently undergoing its final testing.

The agency was prompted to do something about the security of their equipments with the high-profile theft of a laptop and an external hard drive that housed sensitive information on more than 26 million veterans and active military personnel. The equipment was stolen from a home of one agency employee’s home in Maryland last May. Thankfully, the laptop and hard drive were recovered in June.

Just last week, the agency said it was investigating reports of yet another theft, now of a desktop machine from the Reston, Va., offices of Unisys. Unisys is a hired subcontractor to assist the agency in insurance collections from its Pennsylvania medical centers. It is said that the computer contains information on about 38,000 veterans – 2,000 of whom are deceased.

Via CNET