Original URL: http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2006/08/07/va_laptop_theft_arrests/
Two US teenagers were arrested last weekend for stealing a Veterans' Administration laptop, an incident that proved a major security flap and brought calls for improved information security legislation.
A thief stole the laptop from the Virginia home of a worker at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) during the course of a burglary in early May. At the time, VA officials were quick to blame the data analyst involved for violating agency policy in taking the laptop home. However, it has since emerged that the worker, who was placed on administrative leave during the course of an inquiry, had written permission to take the sensitive data away from VA offices in order to work from home.
Information held on the laptop included the names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers of approximately 26.5m former and acting US servicemen and women dating back to 1975. VA officials went public to warn veterans of the incident. FBI and local law enforcement officials were involved in investigating the security breach.
The laptop and its hard drive ended up for sale on a "black market" near a subway station near Wheaton outside of Washington DC and returned to the authorities by an unidentified woman at the end of June. A preliminary investigation by FBI officials suggests that data has not been accessed since the laptop was stolen, easing fears that the exposed data might have fallen into the hands of identity thieves.
A phone tip-off led to the arrest on Saturday of two suspects, both from Rockville, Maryland: Christian Brian Montano, 19, and Jesus Alex Pineda, 19. Each faces burglary and theft charges, the AP reports (http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/08/05/laptop.arrests.ap/). An unnamed male suspect also faces possible charges over the alleged theft, which police describe as a random burglary not motivated by thoughts of profiting from identity theft. ®
VeriSign worker exits after laptop security breach (6 August 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/08/06/verisign_laptop_theft/
Eden laptop theft sparks ID theft fears (15 June 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/06/15/eden_laptop_theft/
Hitachi ships Travelstar 7K200 encrypted hard drive (7 June 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/06/07/hitachi_travelstar_7k200_encrypted_hard_drive/
M&S in ID theft flap over stolen laptop (9 May 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/05/09/printing_security_flap/
TSA: We're not saying our hard drive is gone but... (7 May 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/05/07/tsa_loses_hard_drive/
Nationwide fined £980,000 over stolen laptop (14 February 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/02/14/nationawide_fined/
ID theft fears as VA loses another hard disc (7 February 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/07/va_disc_loss_security_flap/
Met Police in laptop theft security flap (22 November 2006)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2006/11/22/met_police_laptop_theft/
What the heck was on that stolen laptop? (19 August 2006)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2006/08/19/laptop_loss_survey/
Florida laptop loss sparks ID theft fears (11 August 2006)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2006/08/11/florida_laptop_theft_flap/
Security flap after US Navy loses laptops (28 July 2006)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2006/07/28/navy_laptop_security_snafu/
Stolen VA laptop sold off 'back of a truck' (6 July 2006)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2006/07/06/va_laptop_revocery_details/
Laptop with veterans' data recovered intact (30 June 2006)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2006/06/30/va_laptop_recovered/
White House calls for improved laptop security (28 June 2006)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2006/06/28/white_house_laptop_security/
US veterans' data exposed after burglary (23 May 2006)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2006/05/23/va_data_security_breach/
Afghan market sells US military flash drives (18 April 2006)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2006/04/18/afghan_market_security_breach/
40,000 BP workers exposed in Ernst & Young laptop loss (23 March 2006)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2006/03/23/ey_bp_laptop/
200,000 HP staff exposed as laptop loss party continues (22 March 2006)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2006/03/22/fidelity_laptop_hp/
© Copyright 2008