Privacy Act Revamp; VA Data at Risk; 26 Challenges, One Mission
Privacy Act Revamp; VA Data at Risk; 26 Challenges, One Mission
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/wrap-privacy-act-revamp-va-data-risk-26-challenges-one-mission-br9ic
Publish Date: 2026-02-17 16:41:00
Source Domain: www.linkedin.com
Welcome to The Wrap for Tuesday, February 17!
From the newsroom at MeriTalk, it’s the quickest read in federal tech news. Here’s what you need to know today:
Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., is calling for an overhaul of the Privacy Act of 1974, which hasn’t been updated since … well, ever. And quite a lot has changed in the tech world since 1974. Today, Trahan published a 68-page report after spending the last 10 months gathering and reviewing stakeholder input on how to revamp the Privacy Act. “The Privacy Act was written for a world of file cabinets and mainframe computers, not one defined by cloud storage, data brokers, and AI,” Trahan said in a statement, adding, “Americans should be able to trust that their personal information is handled responsibly by their government.” Trahan outlines a bipartisan framework for Congress to modernize the Privacy Act, including recommendations such as strengthening the limits on the collection, use, and sharing of Americans’ sensitive personal data. Her recommendations also include enhancing oversight mechanisms, right-sizing requirements to promote compliance, and establishing and resourcing a chief privacy officer at every agency. Trahan summed it up, saying, “Congress should not squander its opportunity or ignore its charge.”
Access creep is real at the
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA), per a new
Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General
(OIG) report. The report says that user access controls in the agency’s Integrated Financial and Acquisition Management System (iFAMS) are not sufficient to protect sensitive VA data. How much access are we talking? The VA OIG said that 91% of the 2,818 users with access to the VA’s Technology Acquisition Center (TAC) data did not work for the TAC as of February 2025. Additionally, the VA OIG…
