What a balls up

[nihil]

HM Customs and Revenue (the British equivalent of the IRS) have lost the personal details of 25 million UK residents. They sent them in the mail, unencrypted!!!!!!!!!!!

Story here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7104945.stm

And this is not the first time!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programme...ox/7076106.stm

[DjM]

So, are you keeping an eye on your Credit cards and Bank accounts Nihil?



Cheers:

[nihil]

No more than I normally do DjM. I am a cynic who believes that what actually comes to public attention is probably only the tip of the iceberg.

I know that I am not in either of those databases, but the fact that it can happen is rather worrying. Particularly as identity theft is now the most common crime in the UK.

What really annoys me is that this is a government department and the government have the cheek to legislate on data protection.

"Physician heal thyself"

[wolfman1984]

The Wolfman doesn't understand why companies/departments with sensitive information won't use automated encryption on their email, CD's and USB/Floppy drives.

There are plenty of applications that automate this process.

[westin]

I have been hearing about this on PRI [public radio international] lately... from what they said, they have no idea what happened to the discs, whether they were stolen, thrown away, etc.. the reporter even joked that they will probably find them behind the coffee maker in a year or so... they also refused to name the guy that actually misplaced the discs, but from the sound of it, his bosses were fired, and they were looking for even more heads to roll higher up the ladder, as it were. scary stuff...

[kingkong]

I cannt believe in this modern world of technology

there is a case of such a important data loss

CD lost "OK"

Data lost "Thats amazing"

i think this is just a bullshit and a foul image

Disregarded Dishonoured
KK

[XTC46]

glad to see the US isn't the only place losing important data.

nihil, its been ages and seeing that you are still around means this place hasn't gone totally balls up.

[nihil]

Hi, XTC46,

nihil, its been ages and seeing that you are still around means this place hasn't gone totally balls up.

Good to see a "prodigal" return

As for the lost data issue, I guess it is a question of management and the chain of command.

From what I can gather they were supposed to use couriers. Now, what happens is the actual task (procedure) is delegated to the lowest levels AO (administrative officer) and CO (clerical officer). At that level there is a high degree of staff mobility as people pass their exams, get promoted or get moved around departments to gain experience.

Unless you have a rigorous training programme, it is not surprising that deviations from the laid down procedures will start to creep in?

The irony of it all is that there is actually a branch of the Civil Service called the "Queen's Messengers" whose very job is to safely deliver confidential information. Trouble is that they work for the Foreign Office and not the Treasury

Wolfie~ makes a very good point, automatic encryption is hardly rocket science these days. The trouble is that Civil Servants at the senior level tend to be "technologically challenged"

[morganlefay]

The trouble is that Civil Servants at the senior level tend to be "technologically challenged"

LMAO

good one Johnno


Although it is not just civil servants

thats why we all have jobs


MLF

[MURACU]

amen to that.