Yes, he's from Pakistan. He didn't hire himself though.

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REMEMBER WHEN THIS STORY BROKE? Finally, somebody is dealing with the issue. Check this out!

http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/41035-1.html

VA IT security gaps extend to contractors
06/14/06 -- 04:15 PM
By Mary Mosquera,

Rep. Buyer: Department CIO needs IT security enforcement authority
 
[b]The Veterans Affairs Department said today that it has been investigating allegations that an offshore medical transcription subcontractor last year threatened to expose 30,000 veterans’ electronic health records on the Internet in a payment dispute with a VA contractor. [/b]
The VA assistant inspector general referred to the investigation during questioning in a congressional hearing on VA’s data security environment in the wake of the theft of sensitive data of 26.5 million veterans, active duty military and reserves officers.

The medical transcription incident highlights how gaps in information security also extend to contractors, said Michael Staley, VA’s assistant inspector general for auditing. Some VA medical transcription contractors have used offshore subcontractors in India and Pakistan without VA’s approval and without adequate controls to ensure veterans’ health information was secure under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, according to an audit released today.

“Contracts do not specify criteria for how to protect information,” Staley told the House Veterans Affairs Committee.

Staley enumerated audits of information management security under the Federal Information Security Management Act, the Consolidated Financial Statement and Combined Assessment Program that revealed significant vulnerabilities. These include VA not controlling and monitoring employee access, not restricting users to only the data they need and not terminating accounts of departing employees in a timely manner.

In last year’s FISMA review, the IG provided 16 recommendations, including addressing security vulnerabilities of unauthorized access and misuse of sensitive information and data throughout VA demonstrated during its field testing. All 16 recommendations remain open, he said.

Audits also found instances where out-based employees send veterans’ medical information to the VA regional office through unencrypted e-mail; monitoring remote network access and usage does not routinely occur; and off-duty users’ access to VA computer systems and sensitive information is not restricted.

“VA has implemented some recommendations for specific locations identified but has not made corrections VA-wide,” he said.

From fiscal years 2000 to 2005, the IG identified IT and security deficiencies in 141, or 78 percent, of 181 Veterans Health Administration facilities reviewed, and 37, or 67 percent, of the 55 Veterans Benefits Administration facilities reviewed.

“We recommended that VA pursue a more centralized approach, apply appropriate resources and establish a clear chain of command and accountability structure to implement and enforce IT internal controls,” Staley said.

The underlying situation is the VA’s department CIO does not have authority to enforce compliance with data security and information management and recommendations from GAO, said Veterans Affairs Committee chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.).

Buyer traced problems in security enforcement to a memo dated April 2004 from the general counsel that said the department CIO did not have enforcement authority.

The CIO, undersecretaries who lead VA’s benefits, health and burial administrations, and the VA secretary share responsibility for enforcement, said Gregory Wilshusen, director of information security issues for the Government Accountability Office.

“Information security is a governmentwide problem, and we have talked with OMB about that,” said Linda Koontz, director of GAO’s information management issues.

Buyer expressed frustration that there are no consequences for “recalcitrant” agencies that do not correct problems that GAO has repeatedly highlighted. He cited the Privacy Act, which has been strengthened with consequences.

“If you have a bureaucracy so strong in the department that the secretary or political bodies are unable to act, don’t you think the president or vice president or OMB needs to know that because there are monetary consequences behind that inaction? I’m bothered that GAO doesn’t have the higher authority to which they can turn,” Buyer said after the hearing.

After several more hearings this month, Buyer and his committee will make recommendations or craft legislation. He suggested that Congress consider looking at strengthening FISMA.

“We can even come up with that in our language, but we’re not going to have jurisdiction over that. We’ll have to work with Mr. Davis [House Government Reform Committee chairman Tom Davis (R-Va.)] and his committee. I’d be more than happy to do that,” he said.

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mostly because you can now hire experienced MT's at 6-8 cpl. In the near future, you will be able to hire experienced MT's at 5 cpl. Then people will start getting out of this business and new people will stop trying to get in. I had a job opening and asked people to bid what they wanted per line. One very smart young lady was a new grad and bid 3 cpl. I hired her a year and a half ago, she has been terrific! and I was willing to spend my time training her because a) time is money and she saved me money so I could spend my time and b) she had definite potential!. In another six months, she will be the MT with 2 years experience applying for jobs. AND she will get them because she will test well and essentially "bought" her experience. So use Economics 101...

international/over seas MTs? I have been looking and looking for a decent job that hires MTs from Canada, are their any?

for all of the reasons mentioned in your post, and then some. 

the fast food places and Wal-Mart. And they don't pay that much either. I already checked into it.

I don't like being around people that much either. I left an office job because of office politics...not once...but 4 times in my lifetime of working. Just couldn't take the crap.  In today's world, the people out there aren't very nice. In fact, some of them are downright nasty. I've seen them treat service personnel as if THEY owned the place.

Also, there aren't many jobs or decent wages in my area. Most jobs around here pay minimum wage. For me to get a good job, I would have to go 40 miles from home into another county without the benefit of a 4 lane highway. Only 2 lanes and mostly through small towns with low speed limits. It would take me about an hour to get to a decent paying, so you're spending 10 hours a week on the road.

I stay in MT because I love the challenge, because I can work at home. I drive my car about 5 miles a week. That's it. A tank of gas lasts me more than a month.

TTS, NH - do they hire newbies?  I have a whole 6 weeks of experience and am looking for a good company.  Not fond of the big nationals.

If you have any additional suggestions for good companies I am open.

Looking for employee position, but realize that initially this is almost impossible to find. Will definitely settle for IC status.

Rah, rah, sis, boom, bah ! Almost makes me regurgitate when I get those imails. Also when upper mgmt sends those intro imails over and over about a new "high dollar" CEO/manager that they have hired with our monies, rather than giving us a raise and better benefits.

MQ supe is definitely not the asset it was to the MT's in the past. It is all about pleasing the upper management now -- using Excel to send those much needed reports back and forth. 

I miss the supe of yesteryear!