VA defends call on credit monitoring

[NVMojo]

WASHINGTON -- Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson yesterday defended the government's decision to withdraw free credit monitoring for millions of veterans, saying there was little risk that their sensitive data would be compromised.

Testifying to a Senate panel, Nicholson acknowledged there were no 100 percent guarantees that names, birthdates, and Social Security numbers stored on a VA employee's stolen laptop and external drive were not accessed or copied. But he said the low risk did not justify a year of personalized monitoring at a taxpayer cost of $160.5 million.

``Facts have changed, the situation has changed," Nicholson said, noting that the stolen equipment has been recovered and that the FBI determined with a ``high degree of confidence" that the data were not compromised.

Speaking of veterans groups, some of whom are fiercely opposed to the decision, Nicholson added: ``Some oppose, but some concur, thinking it would be a waste of $160.5 million."

more...

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/07/21/va_defends_call_on_credit_monitoring/

[DiverDave]

1. So when someones uses my info

to trash my already fragile credit, do I send the bill to clean it up to the V.A?