Calling all Computer Whizzes Re: VA Info Theft

[AccessGranted]

Is it just me or would it be impossible to fit the information of 26.5 million or more people on even the most pimped out laptop or external harddrive and what the heck software program was it in or run under? Reports say the info stolen was on either a Hewlett Packard Laptop Model zv5360us OR an HP external personal media drive. Huuuh? I'm a veteran and I'm not falling for that hokey story. Somebody please help me out here. Thanks!

[notadmblnd]

1. The company I worked for

had a Navy contract and stored their machines on our raised floor. It was a huge SUN machine. It's been a year or two since I've worked but I want to say it was a SUN 15K

several similar to this


this is a 25K if I recall correctly there would have been several racks of disk arrays too.

[acmejack]

2. I think the story stinks too.

First of all what would any one be doing with a data base of all of America's Veterans on it? The Archives can't even produce that information for pete's sake!

[Kellanved]

3. It depends on the data

If it was a database (i.e. a big spreadsheet) containing just the basic personal data, then that number is plausible.

The strange part is that the data was unencrypted on a portable computer.

[unhappycamper]

4. Well,

If you have 2,000 bytes of information on 30,000,000 million people, you would only need 60GB for the data & probably another 5GB for the data structure.

There's many USB external drives available that store > 100GB.

[sendero]

5. Exactly..

....and 2000 bytes is generous. Probably could be done in half that.

Yes, it is perfectly plausible to fit such a database on a laptop. Of course, the 'reason for' or the 'wisdom of' doing so are very much in question.