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State Department government laptops lost, then miraculously ?found?

by on08 May 2008

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Security lapses and lack of equipment records are culprits


At the U.S. Department of State hundreds and perhaps thousands of employee laptops have gone missing and cannot be accounted for. An internal audit has determined that not only are these laptops missing, but they contain sensitive and sometimes secret diplomatic relations information with foreign countries.

The audit estimated that at least 400 of the unaccounted for laptops belong to the department’s Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program (which provides anti-terrorism training, equipment and laptops to foreign police, intelligence and security, as well as U.S. diplomats). The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) is responsible for security of the Department of State’s computer equipment, including its laptops.

A senior State Department official referred inquiries to the Inspector General’s office, and the IG office said it could “…not comment on ongoing work.” The audit was launched by the Inspector General about three months ago, and this audit is only the first stage inventory of the equipment.

Auditors indicated that the State Department had lost track of $30 million worth of equipment, according to one official, “the vast majority of which . . . perhaps as much as 99 per cent,” was laptops. The official went on to say that  “….‘unaccounted for’ does not necessarily mean the laptops have been lost. But they are ‘missing’ until they have been found or otherwise accounted for.”

The State Department’s laptop losses were outed on March 31st  by an anonymous post at a Web site visited generally only by employees of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security.  At the Web site, www.deadmenworking.com , a blogger posted, “We’re not talking about a missing laptop or two.” This post set off a frantic need to put a lid on the missing equipment claims.

A current visit to the Dead Men Working site blog indicates that the State Department now claims that it has miraculously “found” the 400 missing DS laptops, but there is no mention as to any of the other missing equipment.

Read the current post here.

Last modified on 08 May 2008
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