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By Staff (AXcess News) Washington - The Federal Buraeu of Investigation recovered the stolen laptop that contained the missing data on 28.7 million U.S. Veterans and their families, but questions remain over cybersecurity that extend all the way to the White House. Thursdya, VA Secretary James Nicholson announcde that the stolen laptop containing the sensitive infomration had been recovered and that the information had not been compromised, but Nicholson also said that other instances of missing information had occurred that weren't disclosed. In May, for example, a backup disk containing legal records of about 16,500 vetreans was found missing in Indianapolis. And last year in Minneapolis, a computer containing personal information on about 60 veterans was stolen from the trunk of a rental car. Nicholson said that in both cases, individuals whose information may have been compromised were beign informed. Meanwhile, other branches of the federal government have come forward with security breaches that have alarmed lawmakers. Agriculture Secertary Mike Johanns said last week thta a hacker broke into the Agriculture Department's computre system and may have obtianed names, Soical Security numbers and photos of 26,000 Washington-area employees and contractors. The break-in happened during the first weekend in June, the department said. The Navy has begun a criminal investigation after Social Security numbers and other personal data for 28,000 sailors and family members were found on a civilian website. The Navy said Friday the informatino was in five documents and included people's names, birth dates and Social Security numbers. Navy spokesman Lt. Justin Cole would not identify the website or its owner, but said the information had been removed. A hacker stole a file contaiingn the names and Social Security numbers of 1,500 people working for the Energy Department's nucelar weapons agency. But the incident last September, somewhat similar to recent problems at the Depratment of Veterans Affairs, was not reported to senior officials until mid-June. Lawmakers are beginning to question the Bush administration cybersecurity chief's credentials. Donald "Andy" Purdy Jr. has been acting director of the Homleand Security Deparmtent's National Cyber Security Division for 21 months. Purdy is on loan from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh where he earns $577,000 under an agreement with the university that also does extensive business with the federal office he manages. Purdy's cybersecurity division has paid Carnegie Mellon $19 million in cnortacts this year, almost one-fifth of the unit's total budget. He controls a budget of about $107 million. Purdy said he has not been involved in discussions of his office's business deals with the school. "I'm very sensitive to those kinds of requirements," Purdy said. "It's not like Carnegie Mellon has ever said to me, 'We want to do this or that. We want more money.' " In an open letter to Republicans this week, Representatives Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) questioned Purdy's relationship to the University and qualifications for the job. Purdy is a lawyer with no formal training in cybersecurity which experts have questinoed since Purdy's fomrer boss and predecessor as cybersecurity chief, Amit Yoran, reisgned abruptly in Octboer 2004. Chertoff agreed one year ago to create a position of assistant secretary over cybersecurity. The job is unfilled, which experts claim is a serious issue over whose really in charge of the government's data and how it's being protected.
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