Text 20384, 49 rader
Skriven 2006-08-14 15:36:02 av Jeff Guerdat (1:275/311)
     Kommentar till en text av Charles Scaglione
Ärende: Re: Old HD.
===================
Charles Scaglione wrote:
> Jeff Guerdat wrote to Alan Zisman
> 
> JG>While I agree with you 100%, it's also worth noting that 1)
> JG>permission  HAD been granted for the VA laptop and had been for a
> JG>couple of years  and 2) the state of technology has changed, what
> JG>with terminal servers,  encryption, etc.  There's also procedures in
> JG>place that provide the  needed data with dummy info that isn't
> JG>important to the task other than  to have the field filled properly.
> 
> Clarification is needed here....   While permission was granted for the 
> notebook to be taken home that did not apply to the sensitive data.  
> While working for the government as a field agent and otherwise, I too 
> had permission to carry a government owned notebook to the field and to 
> my home.  I did not, however, at any time have permission to load it 
> with sensitive or classified data and then remove it from government 
> controlled property.  
> 
> The controlling of sensitive and classified data is not just a VA thing.  
> The rules and regulations are the same throughout the government.
> 
> If in fact someone at the VA office where he worked gave him 
> permission to load that computer with sensitive data and then take it 
> home, that someone should also bear the responsibility.  BTW, the 
> individual who loaded the sensitive data (it was a VA personnel 
> data base that contained SSANs and other info) was working on a special 
> project at the time and was trying to meet a deadline.  The employee was 
> probably dedicated and doing his job but he didn't follow the rules.

The fly in the ointment is that the contractor who had the laptop stolen 
had actually had permission to carry such data on the laptop for at 
least 2 years.  This was not the first time that someone who had 
authorized such usage.  The data was to be used to allow the contractor 
to be able to do work at home to speed up whatever it was he was working 
on.  Once upon a time, such work might have been ok but with the 
increasing issues of such data being unprotected it should have been at 
least questioned a long time ago.  Sorta like not using AV software 
years ago and getting away with it as opposed to today's realities.

I'd also be willing to bet that many top executives of both government 
and industry regularly carry sensitive data with them on various devices 
that are also not (well-) protected.  I know I've heard of some losses 
from such upper echelon abusers in the not-too-distant past.  It isn't 
who needs access to the data that's the problem - it's the feeling that 
you can protect it without serious effort.

"Cockiness is the feeling you have just before you know better."
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