Data Loss Case Could Impact Telework

A congressional investigation into data security practices at the Veterans Affairs department—brought on by the loss of sensitive data on some 26 million veterans when computer equipment containing the data was stolen from an employee’s home—could have an impact on the government’s telecommuting program. While VA says that the employee wasn’t authorized to have that information at home, many telecommuters do need to access sensitive data to do their work, and protecting that data always has been a major concern of managers who are responsible for deciding whether a job, or in some cases a particular assignment, is suitable for telecommuting. The potentially severe consequences of losing data through events such as a home burglary also might make some employees think twice about whether the benefits of telecommuting is worth the potential career and legal risks.