Stolen NASA laptop strikes fear within the agency

Computers are repositories for important documents and personal files. That is why users ought to guard their computers with their life. Unfortunately for NASA, one of its laptops was stolen a few weeks ago. The stolen laptop was issued to an employee at the NASA headquarters in Washington. Two weeks ago, the laptop was stolen from a locked car, along with it personnel information such as the social security numbers of its employees. The stolen laptop was reportedly password-protected, however, the disk wasn’t fully-encrypted, which means that it is easier to hack.

NASA is now investigating the theft and is hiring specialists and ID experts to help. Following the incident, NASA has banned the removal of unencrypted laptops from NASA and is warning employees about the perils of storing sensitive data on computers, as well as smartphones and tablets. “Information on the laptop could be accessible to unauthorized individuals,” said Richard Keegan, NASA’s Associate Deputy Administrator. “Because of the amount of information that must be reviewed and validated, it may take up to 60 days for all individuals impacted by this breach to be identified and contacted.”

Gene Ryan Briones
Categories: Computers
Tags: NASA