We’re from the Government, and we’re here to protect your data

 

Britain’s finance minister apologized Wednesday for the loss of two computer discs containing the personal data of 25 million people, calling it “inexcusable” and vowing to continue searching for the material.

1. Alright, alright, what’s all this about then? It says the data was sent via internal mail, which means it never left the building. So search the damned building!

   I LIKE that heads are rolling over this over there. It’s a damned good idea. Wish we had it here. Fire the minister, fire the guy who sent the package, fire his manager for allowing it to happen and fire the entire mail staff for losing the package. Then change your policy so that any amount of data that has to be physically delivered in-house gets done so by the sender, by hand, to the recipient. With a paperwork trail.

   Posted by Drew458       11/21/2007  at  12:16 PM  



2. Drew. Internal mail in this case means internal to the department rather than via the Post Office or similar. One office was in Newcastle the destination office was London, about 350 miles away. As for people being fired. Well the head of Customs has resigned but his boss (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) is still collecting his fat pay check. All this from a government that wants to force us to carry ID cards. Would you trust them with all your personal data? I certainly don’t.

   Posted by LyndonB       11/22/2007  at  05:22 AM  



3. Government and computers - like this type of ‘loss’ and/or invasion of personal privacy - isn’t a given?!?

   The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’ (Ronald Reagan)

   Posted by wardmama4       11/26/2007  at  10:53 AM  

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