Two laptop computers and other equipment were taken from a federal center in New Haven that processes applications for a program that provides identification cards to workers with access to seaports, federal officials said Wednesday.
Authorities say the computers, a camera and biometrics collection equipment were taken from the Grand Avenue site over the weekend.
The FBI is assessing whether there was a threat to national security, said spokesman Edward Garlick.
Christopher White, a spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration, said the stolen laptops do not pose a security risk. He says data is wiped clean daily and is encrypted, so it’s not accessible to thieves.
Lockheed Martin, the contractor at the center, collects the data and submits it to TSA for background checks to make sure applicants do not pose a threat.
The theft was criticized by House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.
“Security of personal data is paramount to our national security.
