Computer tracking system helped VA locate stolen laptop

In the case of an unencrypted laptop that went missing from the radiology department of a VA facility in Little Rock, Ark., CompuTrace helped local police recover the computer. When a person tries to log onto the Internet on a laptop with CompuTrace, the service will detect the location and help people find the device. When the police found the laptop, the VA hard drive was missing. The person who had the computer was not a VA employee and said he bought it from someone else. The investigation continues, according to a Veterans Affairs monthly report on data incidents.

For persistent problems, the VA can use such services to track down missing laptops, Veterans Affairs CIO Roger Baker said during a press briefing. "But it probably costs more to license the software to track the device down than the device is worth," he said. --Listen to a recording of the call at FierceGovernmentIT