In one more example of government butter fingers:
Data on half of all Britons disappears It was a civil servant’s simple mistake, but the consequences could be vast. Two computer disks bearing addresses, bank account numbers and other details of about 25 million people - almost half the British population - were popped into internal government mail and never arrived.
The government says there is no sign the data has fallen into criminal hands. But technology experts and civil libertarians say the security lapse spotlights the risks we take in entrusting personal details to governments and large institutions.
“I profoundly regret and apologize for the inconvenience and worries that have been caused to millions of families,” Prime Minister Gordon Brown told the House of Commons yesterday. “We have a duty to do everything that we can to protect the public.”
The disks disappeared while being sent by internal mail from the tax and customs department to the government’s audit agency. They contained names, addresses, birthdates, national insurance numbers and, in some cases, banking details for 25 million adults and children.
Treasury chief Alistair Darling said the disks held information on the 7.25 million families in Britain claiming a child benefit - a tax-free monthly payment available to everyone with children. He said the delivery had not been tracked and the disks were missing for three weeks before the alarm was raised.
The disks were password protected, but the information on them was not encrypted.
Darling, who disclosed the breach to shocked lawmakers Tuesday, called the lapse “catastrophic.”
“I can well understand people’s anxiety and anger that this has happened. It should never have happened, and I apologize unreservedly for that,” Darling said yesterday.
Technology experts said they could not recall a loss of data on this scale in Britain. They said it showed fundamental flaws in the government’s plan to keep more information about citizens on centralized databases.
Projects in the works include a national medical records database and biometric identity cards for all citizens.
“It’s impossible to control this much data,” said Guy Hosein of watchdog group Privacy International. “Whenever you collect information and keep it centrally, it will be abused, it will be lost.”
Conservative Party leader David Cameron said the breach should make the government reconsider its ID cards plan.
“People are desperately worried about the privacy of their bank account details and their personal details,” he told Brown in the House of Commons. “They will find it truly bizarre, they’ll find it weird, that frankly you don’t want to stop and think about the dangers of a national identity register.”
Brown said the ID card plan would go ahead, with “the biometric support necessary so people can feel confident that their identity is protected.”
Darling insisted there was no evidence criminals obtained the lost data, and said the police were hunting for the missing disks. He said banks have been told to look for signs of suspicious activity.
:
There have been several cases of major data theft from companies in the United States. TJX Cos., the operator of T.J. Maxx and Marshalls stores, disclosed in January that a data theft had exposed tens of millions of credit and debit cards to potential fraud. “The difference is, this is information you are legally compelled to give to the government,” said Privacy International’s Hosein. “You are not compelled to be a customer of T.J. Maxx.”
-AP News
Remember, they’re from the government and want us to trust them…
Hat tip to Sue.
I am thankful on this Thanksgiving, that thus far, we have staved off NAIS. I am thankful that our founding fathers gave us the basis on which to live free. Thanks to those, who from 1776 to now, believed in freedom so much that they gave life and limb to assure it. Thanks to Walter for the time he spends making this site available. Thanks to all those who spend time and resources they really do not have on telling others, putting up flyers, calling the elected offal to remind them how our govt is really supposed to work. Special thanks to the lawyers involved: Judith, Mary, Karen, et al, for their knowledge into the workings of govt documents and how they keep us informed. Thanks to the rest “in the trenches” all of you who value our God-given rights to own animals and work the land. And above all, thanks to our heavenly Father for grace, strength and wisdom we need in this fight against those trampling on our consitutional rights. God bless you all and your critters, those out in the pasture and those right next to the mashed potatoes.
Comment SUSAN — November 22, 2007 @ 8:45 am
Just a nother example of the Gov. philosophy; Problem, Reaction, solution. Cause the idenity problem, Fear of loosing you idenity is the reaction, So everone will then except the “NEW” Natl. I.D.card
Comment Scott — November 22, 2007 @ 9:19 am
As a t-shirt reads:
I love my country, it’s the government I don’t trust.
Comment prairie girl — November 22, 2007 @ 10:34 am
This article is one of the examples of why “herr gubbermint” can not be allowed to have our info,I know that this info was in the hands of the folks fighting Real ID several days ago and in that fight it has already generated a reaction.
On another note,www.newfarm.org has a article by Amy Shollenberger about NAIS its pretty good,right on the front page of the site,also there is a article there concerning our idiot ag sec here in Pa, the one bought and paid for by Monsanto and friends. It is about labeling milk here in Pa to outlaw labels that say whats not in a product,shows what we are fighting here in Pa and give y’all an insight into what is coming at y’all everywhere on the fruited plain.Scary,but expected.thanks!
“Live free or die tryin”
Comment LEE — November 22, 2007 @ 5:48 pm
I see a piece at primenewswire.com about an argeement between Smart Tech Solutions Inc. and Fullmer Cattle Co.in Dexter NM to set up their animal ID equiptment at the ranch for testing…”Live free or die tryin”
Comment LEE — November 28, 2007 @ 9:19 pm