British Insecurity
Government Inc. does not -- we repeat, does not -- want to seem schoolmarmish.
Still.
We think there's something instructive, for institutions and contractors the world over, in the story of an unfortunate data security breach at Britain's National Offender Management Service.
It seems a government contractor lost a computer disc containing information about thousands of government criminal justice workers, including "names, dates of birth, national insurance numbers and employee numbers," according to a story in The Guardian. Prison officers are threatening to strike. Government is embarrassed, in part because this is only the latest security breach of government data.
Sound familiar? Check this out:
"The incident follows the disappearance last year of two discs containing details of 25 million child benefit claimants.
"The data protection minister, Michael Wills, yesterday played down the security risk and said he did not believe the information was in public circulation.
"But the Prison Officers Association's national chairman, Colin Moses, said: 'We are extremely concerned that not only has this data been lost, but that the Prison Service appear to have tried to conceal this serious breach in security. It is a breach that we believe could ultimately cost the taxpayer millions and millions of pounds, because, if the information lost is personal and sensitive, it may well mean staff having to move prisons, move homes and relocate their families.'"
Government Inc. believes computer security is a very big deal indeed.
By Robert O'Harrow |
September 8, 2008; 2:12 PM ET
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Posted by: James lookretis, USA | September 9, 2008 4:42 PM
Whoa. Too much Kool-Aid for James! He's not even coherent.
Posted by: LALA | September 10, 2008 12:49 AM
What a dumb thing to say about England's security systems. How many of the USA's Federal agencies have had data breaches? I can name 2 in the past 5 years - VA Administration, and IRS......hello! If any agency should be embarrassed, English or American it should be FEMA....out and out, up-front thieves. If it isn't nailed down it is now the ownership of FEMA.
Posted by: bonniebeau1 | September 12, 2008 1:09 PM
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