At a special hearing called by Rep. Steve Buyer, chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, information security experts from industry told lawmakers that it is not too late to fix the problems at Veterans Affairs that led to a May 3 data theft. They agreed that the VA’s federated approach is wrong. VA chief James Nicholson testified on Capitol Hill June 8 that the VA had launched—he emphasized “launched”—a shift toward centralized control of information security. Buyer (R-Ind.) plans to hold additional hearings this month.
F-35As from the Vermont Air National Guard have deployed to Puerto Rico in recent days, continuing a major buildup of U.S. Air Force assets in Latin America aimed at combating drug trafficking and pressuring the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
