[We advised you of missing military computers in August; here’s an update.]
The U.S. Pacific Fleet’s warships and submarines were missing nearly 600 computers as of late July, including at least 14 known to have handled classified data, according to an internal Navy report.
The fleet, based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, tried to prevent the release of the Naval Audit Service report, even though it was not classified.
Read Admiral Jonathan Greenert the fleet deputy commander in chief: “A release of this information could negatively impact national security.” The audit service found “a serious risk that PCs containing sensitive and classified information have been lost or compromised, which presents a threat to national security and a potential embarrassment to the Department of the Navy.”
Approximately 595 of the missing laptop and desktop computers featured removable hard drives, had been leased to the Navy, and were capable of processing classified information.
The Navy is declining any comments on the current status of the missing computers or any other aspects of the matter.
The audit dealt with only a small fraction of the Navy’s computers. The Atlantic Fleet was not examined. And in the Pacific Fleet, shore facilities, where most computers are located, were not surveyed.
According to the report, “At least 595 personal computers, including at least 14 reported to be used for classified purposes, and possibly more, remained missing as of July 23 from afloat units” of the Pacific Command.
“Data was not available as to how many of the remaining PCs were used for classified processing,” added a footnote, leaving open the possibility that many more or all of those missing might have handled secret information.
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