CHAIRMAN SUSAN COLLINS RELEASES STATEMENT ON THE GOVERNMENT’S RECOVERY OF THE STOLEN VA LAPTOP

WASHINGTON, DC—VA Secretary James Nicholson announced this morning that government officials have recovered the laptop computer that was stolen from the home of a VA employee and contains personal information of approximately 26 million veterans and their spouses. Last month, the Senate Homeland Security Committee Chaired by Senator Susan Collins, joined with the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Chaired by Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) to hold a joint hearing on the security breach, what was being done to recover the laptop, and what measures were being taken by the VA to protect Veterans whose personal information was at risk.               Chairman Susan Collins released this statement:               “It is a relief that the FBI has in its custody the stolen laptop containing the sensitive personal information of approximately 26 million veterans and their spouses.  This is the first important step in helping us to determine the potential extent of the damage caused by this major security breach.               “It is clear from this incident and others subsequent to it, that we must take a close look at the Privacy Act and how the government handles the personal information of individuals.  The Privacy Act has become obsolete and does not reflect modern times where information is easily stored and transmitted electronically. Our Committee will hold hearings to examine how the Privacy Act should be modernized in order to strengthen the protection of Americans’ sensitive information.” ####