Cat accused of wiping US Veteran Affairs server info after jumping on keyboard

janusz · 7 Oct 2023, 03:58 PM

Quote:

A four-hour system interruption in September at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri has been attributed to a cat jumping on a technician's keyboard.

So we're told by a source, who heard the tale on one of the regular weekday calls held by the US government department with its CIO, during which recent IT problems are reviewed.

On a mid-September call, one of the participants explained that while a technician was reviewing the configuration of a server cluster, their cat jumped on the keyboard and deleted it.

Kurt DelBene, assistant secretary for information and technology and CIO at the Department of Veterans Affairs, is said to have responded on the call with words to the effect that: "This is why I have a dog."

Full story (The Register)

TenFour · 7 Oct 2023, 08:49 PM

This is one reason I prefer to keep most of my email and data in the cloud. We all worry about bad things like hackers stealing our data, but it is often the truly stupid things that can do us in like knocking a computer off a desk, tripping over a cord, a lightning strike, flood, fire, etc. Or a cat...We need to cat proof our digital lives.

somdcomputerguy · 8 Oct 2023, 02:09 AM

The cat was probably going after the mouse..

janusz · 8 Oct 2023, 02:09 AM

I'm not sure you can cat-proof the delete button whether the data is stored locally or in the cloud.

TenFour · 8 Oct 2023, 05:34 AM

Some cloud services have a multistage delete process that can save you from yourself. For example, stuff deleted from Gmail or Google Drive stays in the trash for 30 days.

Bamb0 · 8 Oct 2023, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by somdcomputerguy

The cat was probably going after the mouse..

The kitty knew what she was doing! (Meow Meow!!)

janusz · 8 Oct 2023, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TenFour

Some cloud services have a multistage delete process that can save you from yourself.

Windows has local a two-stage delete process. It's called Recycle Bin.

chrisretusn · 9 Oct 2023, 11:42 AM

Quote:

On a mid-September call, one of the participants explained that while a technician was reviewing the configuration of a server cluster, their cat jumped on the keyboard and deleted it. Or at least that's their story.

I'm not buying it. Sort of like the dog ate my home work. In other news what is a cat doing in the VA anyway.

7 Oct 2023, 08:49 PM	#2
TenFour Master of the @ Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: USA Posts: 1,734	This is one reason I prefer to keep most of my email and data in the cloud. We all worry about bad things like hackers stealing our data, but it is often the truly stupid things that can do us in like knocking a computer off a desk, tripping over a cord, a lightning strike, flood, fire, etc. Or a cat...We need to cat proof our digital lives.

8 Oct 2023, 02:09 AM	#3
somdcomputerguy Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Rupert, WV Posts: 880	The cat was probably going after the mouse..

8 Oct 2023, 02:09 AM	#4
janusz The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: EU Posts: 4,944	I'm not sure you can cat-proof the delete button whether the data is stored locally or in the cloud.

8 Oct 2023, 05:34 AM	#5
TenFour Master of the @ Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: USA Posts: 1,734	Some cloud services have a multistage delete process that can save you from yourself. For example, stuff deleted from Gmail or Google Drive stays in the trash for 30 days.