More UK Government Data Goes Astray

First there was the computer discs that “went missing” containing personal details of all families in the UK with a child under 16, now a Government laptop with potentially sensitive data has been purchased on ebay

Counter terrorism police are today investigating the discovery of a Home Office laptop and encrypted data disc - apparently bought on eBay….

With the statistics showing that nearly 500 government devices have gone missing since 2001, it was only a matter of time before a confidential disc inadvertently ended up on Ebay. Luckily, the public sector finally seems to be learning from repeated mistakes, as the laptop and disc were encrypted.

While the first data leak was unencrypted, thankfully some sort of encryption was used on this latest goof. What worries me is I have seen how some public sector employees behave in this country and believe me, I wouldn’t trust them with my coffee order let alone my private data. What is going to happen when all data is centralized around an ID card system?

People say “if you are innocent you have nothing to fear”. The people on those disks and this laptop, and goodness knows how many other leaks, were innocent but they DO have something to fear. Identity theft and future credit problems.

Posted on February 28, 2008 by Chris Garrett 
Filed Under IT

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