Editorial: Bring us a leader

Thursday, June 15, 2006 | 7:19 a.m.

Millions of U.S. military veterans are receiving letters this week from Veterans Affairs Secretary James Nicholson, telling them that their Social Security numbers and other personal data were "potentially exposed to others."

Meanwhile, Government Accountability Office investigators and Veterans Affairs officials testifying before Congress described this week how Nicholson and other department officials ignored warnings about the potential for such security breaches. The investigators also detailed weak management and lax rules by the VA in reviewing information security systems in the wake of last month's theft of private data of 26.5 million veterans and active-duty military personnel.

Among ongoing problems that inspectors cited were failures to control who had access to private information, a lack of physical security for computer facilities and the failure to remove access by employees who quit or were fired. The VA also lacks a clear chain of command, the inspectors said, and needs "strong leadership" to rectify five years of unheeded warnings.

In his letter to veterans, Nicholson apologized for "any inconvenience or concern" they may have regarding this outrageous breach of privacy. Nicholson owes these victims more than an apology. He has been on the job since February 2005 and has had ample time to learn about and correct these shortcomings.

President Bush, who appointed Nicholson, should start looking for his replacement. The VA and the people it serves need more than apologies. They need a competent leader.