RSSPersonally identifiable data on 18 M + found in a parking lot
By Tim Conneally | Published November 3, 2008, 5:10 PM
A USB memory stick containing the source code and passwords to a UK government database of 18 million citizens was found in a bar parking lot, thought to be accidentally left behind by an IT employee.
The source code and internal passwords are believed to be part of the Government Gateway system, which handles a huge range of government services, from jobs and pensions to driver's licensing, to taxes, to agricultural affairs. With the data on the USB stick, the personal data of over 18 million Britons could have been compromised.
No security breach has taken place. However, the UK's Daily Mail was given the USB stick first and informed the Department of Work and Pensions -- the government agency in charge of the site -- that it had been recovered.
The agency then shut down the gateway until the memory stick was returned to Atos Origin, the IT company in charge of the site.The memory stick's accidental loss was eventually attributed to a 29-year-old analyst named Daniel Harrington.
Atos Origin has a large international customer base, and has been contracted to provide infrastructure to the London 2012 Olympic Games.
"The company takes the loss of this device very seriously and we are currently carrying out a full investigation of both the circumstances surrounding its loss and the data content of the stick," the company said in a statement.
...Moss!!!!
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mabey the Russian contact did not have enough money?
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Why even report it. Doesn't that happen every other day in the UK? Maybe should cut out the 2 pints of Guinness for lunch or other binge drinking habits.
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OH SNAP. You sure showed them! With a stereotype, too!
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Gee, and I thought the usual British scandal involved some gay trist...so where is the other party in this?
;-)
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Not talking scandal. Just your everyday pub scene that heats up a little further Friday after work...
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I've got to ask, what the heck is someone doing carrying around the personal data of 18 million Britons? No really? What job requires you to have access to that many people's information which cannot be achieved over a VPN? Seriously.
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If they aren't going to follow best practices and at least encrypt this stuff, at least use a 'secure' USB key with multifactor biometric and pswd authentication.
...Then take it to the bar! ;-)
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"A USB memory stick containing the source code and passwords to a UK government database of 18 million citizens was found in a bar parking lot, thought to be accidentally left behind by an IT employee.
The source code and internal passwords are believed to be part of the Government Gateway system, which handles a huge range of government services, from jobs and pensions to driver's licensing, to taxes, to agricultural affairs. With the data on the USB stick, the personal data of over 12 million Britons could have been compromised."
So what about the other 6 million?
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typo! thx
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Ooops!
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Heh. Unfortunately, we're a little too used to this happening now in the UK.
The government have a wonderful policy of forgetting to encrypt any data, and more often than not, entrusting that data to a third party.
There's been two laptops sold on eBay which had millions of peoples' data on it, numerous USB keys left lying around. You name it, it's been left somewhere.
Thus why there needs to be another general election very, very soon indeed.
However, I still don't expect anything will change even if there were.
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lol that sucks!
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Nothing better than a drunken, slovenly Big Brother.
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I wonder why he was taking that home.
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