Wednesday, November 21, 2007

And another thing...

Isn't it just a bit worrying that apparently 'junior staff' can burn a couple of CD's containing the details of 15,000,000 children and 10,000,000 bank account details of their parents - apparently at will?

Telling us that proper procedures weren't followed is irrelevant, good security is about creating systems that cannot fail - if procedures aren't followed properly the system should not operate.

Even in my humble recruitment business we have basic safeguards that would stop anyone downloading our database onto a CD rom; it just can't be done.

Here we apparently have the National Audit Office asking for -and being sent- a copy of the entire UK parent population which was without so much as a blink stuck on a couple of CD's in the post.

We are being told by the Government that ID cards are the answer to identity theft problems yet here we have the perfect proof that they could in fact provide the potential for the opposite, on an unimaginable scale.

The ID cards proposal was already deeply flawed, this weeks developments must surely be the final nail in the coffin.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

big Brother state here we come. Nationalised people watching to ensure we all behave correctly. Socialist states beleive in watching their people, seems we're going backwards not forwards.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if a lack of security is enough of an excuse to refuse to offer HMRC information?

Anonymous said...

Didn't Torbay loose a CD with staff details on it. No one falls on their sword anymore.

Anonymous said...

Torbay did lose two CDs with staff details on them, and I think someone got sacked for it.

Anonymous said...

Hang on, didn't the Tories vote in favour of ID cards, and didn't they originally propose the idea in the 1980's ? it's a bit late now to change your mind and expect everyone to believe you !

Marcus Wood said...

Michael Howard as leader was known to favour them when originally proposed in 2004 but he didn't have widespread support.

The Conservatives never proposed them in the 1980's - you are mistaken I am afraid.