(Tucson, AZ ) –
“What is astonishing about the VA Inspector
General’s report issued this week on the appallingly loose
cyber-security of veterans’ personal information held by the VA
is that there is no mention of many of the key questions raised by Vietnam Veterans of America,” said John
Rowan, National President of VVA. “For what purposes has
the VA collected the volume of personal data on veterans and
active-duty troops? Is this information held by other
agencies of government? Has it been shared with private
entities?
“While there are no new
startling conclusions in the report,” Rowan said, “what is
distressing to us are the facts, well-documented in this report,
that IT vulnerabilities have been ignored for far too long by
top officials at the VA, and that remediation efforts have been
spotty and ineffective.
“The initial failures to
comprehend the potential extent of the data loss in the wake of
the theft of a laptop and external hard drive from the home of a
long-time VA employee, and the ensuing attempts at damage
control at a series of congressional hearings, have illuminated
an issue that warrants immediate attention, particularly in
regard to accountability measures,” Rowan, in Tucson to attend
VVA’s National Leadership Conference, said.
“Secretary Nicholson is to
be commended for his determination to ‘plug the holes’ that have
been neglected for too many years,” Rowan said. “We fear that
the actions taken by and planned by the Secretary don’t go far
enough. To insure that veterans’ personal data really are
secure, an independent oversight entity must be created, under
the jurisdiction of the courts, to monitor compliance with new
and revised policies and procedures.
“Veterans – and all
Americans – must be assured that their personal information held
by agencies of government is secure against inappropriate use or
illegal access by agencies within government as well as outside
entities,” Rowan said. “Veterans, active-duty service
members, and all citizens deserve no less.”
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VVA's point of contact for additional
information is Rick Weidman at 301-996-8557. Visit VVA’s Website
at http//www.vva.org
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