US Government vs. Kitty: A Tale of a Computer System Outage

A recent computer system outage in a Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) has raised eyebrows. According to The Register, the cause of the four-hour outage may have been a cat-on-keyboard situation. The incident occurred while a technician was reviewing the configuration of a server cluster. Allegedly, a mischievous feline hopped on the technician’s keyboard, accidentally deleting the server and the government-held medical records it contained.

The US government’s Department of Veterans Affairs confirmed the outage but did not comment on whether a cat was the actual culprit.

While cat-induced keyboard accidents may be a common occurrence for some internet users, it is unexpected and concerning when it involves government-retained patient medical records. It serves as a reminder that even the most secure and sophisticated digital systems are not immune to bizarre and ordinary mishaps.

When it comes to handling patient records, it might be wise for the VA’s cat-owning technicians to take precautions and keep their furry friends out of the computer room.

Source: VA Department Staffer Blames Cat Jumping on Keyboard for Server Outage