UPDATE: The Air Force released this statement on June 15, 2016:
Through extensive data recovery efforts over the weekend and this week, the Air Force has been able to regain access to the data in the Air Force Inspector General Automated Case Tracking System. Once we ensure full database stability, we'll bring the ACTS database back online for users to access. The Air Force is still investigating the incident and will implement all required corrective measures. The secretary of the Air Force has directed an independent review of the incident.
Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said all 100,000 reports, including pending or incomplete IG investigations, have been recovered. The service and contractor Lockheed Martin are still working to stabilize the system before users can begin to use the database, she told Air Force Times.
Earlier on Wednesday, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Mark Welsh said that in additional to Lockheed, the 24th Air Force, the cyber division of the service, and Oracle, another defense contractor, were all working to restore the database.
"Hopefully, we'll be able to get this data recovered and there won't be a long-term impact, other than making sure we understand exactly what happened, how it happened and how we keep it from ever happening again," Welsh said during a defense writers group breakfast in Washington, D.C.
The Air Force really wishes it had Time Machine, iCloud, maybe even a few floppy disks right about now.
The story below originally published on June 14.
The Air Force says it will take about two weeks to determine whether 100,000 Inspector General investigation reports, corrupted in a June 6 system crash, are recoverable.
The affected files, which in the Air Force IG's case tracking system used by the Air Force Inspector General's Office crashed June 6, corrupting close to 100,000 investigation reports datingdate back to 2004, include pending or incomplete IG investigations are also affected, Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek told Air Force Times on Tuesday.
The service says iIt will take about two weeks to establish if 100,000 investigation reports dating back to 2004 — corrupted during a system-wide crash earlier this month whether the files can be recovered, Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek told Air Force Times on Tuesday.
The reports, filed within the Air Force's IG's Inspector General Automated Case Tracking System, include fraud, waste and abuse complaints, IG investigations, appeals, Freedom of Information requests and Ccongressional inquiries.
"We have no indication to believe this was a hacking," Stefanek said.
Pending or incomplete IG investigations may also be unrecoverable, she said.
Air Force officials on Friday said they were notified of the "system of record" crash on June 6. The system was created and maintained by defense company Lockheed Martin — crash on June 6. When officials attempting to log in and access reports, the files appear corrupted.
"We are aware of the data corruption issue in the Air Force's Automated Case Tracking System (ACTS) and are working with the Air Force to identify the cause, and restore the lost data," Lockheed spokeswoman Maureen Schumann said Tuesday.
"It's not unusual that we have contractors administer a database," Stefanek saidadded. The Air Force has various databases, she said, that are not necessarily part of Air Force-wide standard networks and systems.behind a standardized portal, like the AF Portal. or AF networks and systems.
Properly credentialed military officials and Lockheed contractors who work on the case tracking system ACTS have access to the database, which serves all Air Force installations.
The IGs for each of the military services haveing their own case tracking databases military services each have individual IG filing databases.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has requested a briefing from Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James on what he described as said is a disappointing incident. Warner is co-leading a bipartisan group of colleagues in the Senate and House to introduce legislation to establish an independent National Commission on Security and Technology Challenges.
"I am very concerned by any problems that could negatively impact case outcomes or that could exacerbate the already lengthy process for IG investigations to be concluded," Warner wrote in a letter addressed to James on Friday.
"My personal interest in the IG's ability to make good decisions about the outcomes of cases, and to do so in a timely manner, stems from a case involving a Virginia constituent that took more than two years to be completed, flagrantly violating the 180-day statutory requirement for case disposition," he said.
"While this case was handled by DoD IG, rather than Air Force, GAO and others have routinely noted the lengthy process for disposition of IG cases from the services and have called into question the documentation upon which findings are based."
Warner is also demanding to know gauging the service as towhy Congress was only just informed of the problem on the matter Friday, "when the Air Force was made aware on Monday. The five-sentence notification to Congress did not contain information that appeared to have the benefit of five days of working the issue."
Seperately, Stefanek said that right now it remains is unclear whether if the system crash directly impacts the Freedom of Information Act the FOIA request process moving forward; however, it is likely FOIA requests for IG cases will be delayed as a result of the buckled system.KEEP THIS IN NOTES MODE,PLEASE. THIS SENTENCE HAS BEEN REPHRASED BELOW//OP
The Air Force is currently working on alternative measures for anyone trying to file an IG complaint.
"Before we give that direction, we need to figure out if we can we restore the files that we have," Stefanek said.
Seperately, Stefanek said that right now iIt remains is unclear whether if the system crash directly impacts the Freedom of Information Act the FOIA request process, she said, but moving forward; however, it is likely FOIA requests for IG cases will be delayed as a result of the buckled system meltdown.
Oriana Pawlyk covers deployments, cyber, Guard/Reserve, uniforms, physical training, crime and operations in the Middle East and Europe for Air Force Times. She was the Early Bird Brief editor in 2015. Email her at opawlyk@airforcetimes.com.
