An unencrypted laptop containing the personal information of 644 veterans was stolen from a Veterans Affairs Department (VA) contractor earlier this year, causing House Veteran Affairs Committee member Rep. Steve Buyer (R-IN) to investigate the data security measures of other VA contractors, reports Nextgov. In 2006, the VA began requiring all laptops containing veterans' personal information to be encrypted; however, a 2009 review found that many VA contracts failed to include the required information security clause. "There is a preponderance of evidence of a severely dysfunctional and broken procurement process in the Veterans Health Administration," said Buyer. The House VA committee has a hearing on the topic scheduled for May 19.
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