For Immediate Release
 
Contact:  Christy Stefadouros 202-225-5755

BILIRAKIS EXAMINES VA SECURITY BREACH

Washington D.C., May 25, 2006 - Congressman Mike Bilirakis (R-FL), Vice-Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, today participated in a full committee oversight hearing on safeguarding veterans’ personal data, examining the security vulnerabilities within the VA information system and addressing the recent theft of sensitive information belonging to as many as 26.5 million veterans.

The full text of Congressman Bilirakis’ remarks follow:

I wish we were here today under different circumstances. Like my colleagues, I am extremely concerned about the data security breach that occurred earlier this month when a VA employee took veterans’ sensitive personal information home without permission and it was stolen when the employee’s home was burglarized.

Veterans and their families are understandably upset that their personal information has been compromised, and they have good reason to be. I think everyone at one point or another has seen or read a news report depicting the time-consuming and frustrating hurdles that identity theft victims must go through in order to reclaim their lives.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft is the most common complaint from consumers in all fifty states, and complaints regarding identity theft have grown for four consecutive years. A 2003 FTC report found that identity theft had resulted in losses to businesses and financial institutions totaling nearly $48 billion over a five year period. Over that same period, consumer victims experienced approximately $5 billion in out-of-pocket expenses. In 2005, there were approximately 17,000 identity theft complaints in my State of Florida alone.

This security breach never should have happened, and there are serious questions that need to be answered. Why was an employee able to remove such sensitive information from the VA so easily? What security protocols are in place? Were these safeguards deliberately bypassed? How many other VA employees have access to sensitive information? Under what, if any, circumstances should VA employees be allowed to remove such information from VA premises?

This Committee and the Oversight Subcommittee have focused a great deal of attention on the VA’s management of its information technology infrastructure. Since 2001, the VA Office of Inspector General has reported multiple security vulnerabilities related to the VA’s information and data systems. In light of this security breach, the VA clearly has not taken sufficient steps to address these vulnerabilities.

In additional to the issues I’ve already raised, I am particularly concerned by reports that the VA may have waited several weeks before notifying law enforcement officials of the theft. Given the enormity of the situation, I do not understand why the VA would delay notifying law enforcement officials. Did this delay impede the investigation and potential recovery of the stolen data?

Our veterans and their families deserve to know that their private information is protected. I hope that they will hear some reassuring news today that the Administration and Congress will do everything we can to protect them.

Mr. Chairman, I look forward to working with you and my Committee colleagues to ensure that steps are being taken to safeguard veterans’ sensitive information.

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