More Than 100,000 US Air Force Investigation Records Lost In Database Crash

The US Air Force has reportedly lost more than 100,000 internal investigation records owing to a database crash.

The database, known as the Automated Case Tracking System, included data from 2004 onwards related to complaints, investigations and Freedom of Information requests, as well as waste and potentially details of sexual harassment. ACTS hosts files for the Air Force's inspector general and legislative liaison divisions. The database was run by defense firm Lockheed Martin.

It was after the database got corrupted last month that the defense firm tried to recover data for nearly two weeks before notifying the matter to the US Air Force on June 6. Neither Lockheed Martin nor the Air Force have been able to figure out how the database got corrupted.

"We estimate we've lost information for 100,000 cases dating back to 2004," Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek told The Hill in an email. "The database crashed and there is no data," he said. "At this time we don't have any evidence of malicious intent."

Air Force officials are now taking help from cybersecurity professionals at the Pentagon and third party contractors to recover the records.

"We've kind of exhausted everything we can to recover within [the Air Force] and now we're going to outside experts to see if they can help," said Stefanek.

Currently, there are no evidence which prove that the database crash was caused intentionally.

"[W]e're doing our due diligence and checking out all avenues within the investigation to find out if there's anything that we're not aware of," the Air Force spokeswoman added, reported Defense One. "Right now, we don't have any indication of that."

Acknowledging the database crash, a Lockheed Martin spokesperson said that the company is working with the US Air Force officials to restore data.

"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," Maureen Schumann, a Lockheed Martin spokesperson said in an email.