VA worker had OK for data later stolen, Using software to manipulate data

The Veterans Affairs worker faulted for losing veterans' personal information had permission to access millions of
Social Security numbers on a laptop from home, agency documents obtained by The Associated Press show.

(snip)
The department's documents raise questions as to whether top officials condoned a practice that led to a theft with the potential to affect 26.5 million veterans and active-duty troops.

VA Secretary Jim Nicholson and others were to testify Thursday before a House committee investigating the government's largest security breach involving Social Security numbers.

The documents show that the data analyst, whose name was being withheld, had approval as early as Sept. 5, 2002, to use special software at home that was designed to manipulate large amounts of data.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060629/ap_on_re_us/vets_data_theft

:argh: