Two TSA Laptop Computers Stolen

Two laptop computers with personal information about U.S. commercial drivers who transport hazardous materials are missing and considered stolen, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.

The laptops belong to a contractor working for the Transportation Security Administration and contain information including commercial driver’s license numbers and, in some cases, Social Security numbers of almost 4,000 people, according to letter sent from TSA to federal lawmakers, AP said.

The contractor, Integrated Biometric Technology, told TSA that the personal information was deleted from the computers before they were stolen, the letter said.

But after the second laptop was stolen, TSA investigators discovered that a person with data recovery skills could recover the personal information that was deleted. A TSA spokesman said none of the information on the computers was misused, AP reported.

The Hazardous Materials Endorsement Threat Assessment program collects information for security purposes for any driver who transports hazardous materials, AP said.

Lawmakers, including Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and union officials, including the AFL-CIO, blasted TSA for failing to adequately safeguard the drivers’ information, AP reported.

Last summer, several laptops were stolen from DOT in Florida, though the Department also said at that time it did not believe sensitive information was compromised.

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