Stolen VA laptop, external hard drive recovered

  • Published
The Veterans Administration OIG, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Montgomery County Police Department announced June 29 the recovery of the stolen laptop computer and the external hard drive taken during a burglary May 3.

The electronic equipment contained sensitive information concerning more than 26 million veterans and the recovery of the data has been of paramount concern.

The protection of the sensitive data and well being of those potentially affected has made this investigation a number one priority for the investigating agencies, according to an announcement posted on the FBI Web site. A preliminary review of the equipment by computer forensic teams determined that the database remains intact and has not been accessed since it was stolen. A thorough forensic examination is underway, and the results will be shared as soon as possible. The investigation is ongoing.

The release further noted that the efforts of the U.S. Park Police led to the recovery of the equipment.