More Data Losses? Yes, Please....

I’ve been asked to say a few more words about various recent data losses.

These losses are reported to me in various ways: one day a memo from the IT manager, the next a report in the news media, or as happened last week by EDS over dinner at Le Gavroche. In most cases the data is not especially sensitive, being limited to next of kin details, passport and National Insurance numbers, drivers’ licence and bank details, National Health Service numbers, medical records and child protection details.

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In each case we have followed established procedure and established enquiries. Each one is an isolated incident. Taken together the picture is that almost all of these leaked details had been leaked already, several times in some cases. Therefore no single leak can be regarded as particularly significant. We have established various call centres for people who wish to take part in consultation and feedback processes.

This kind of wit almost makes me look forward to the next data loss....

Those Who Have Nothing to Hide...

Ha! Brilliant:

I’ve been asked to say a few words about the disappearance of a computer hard drive containing the personal details of about 100,000 of the Armed Forces. The information was being held by EDS, which is the Ministry of Defence’s main IT contractor.

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I can confirm the disk was not encrypted. We have not[h]ing to hide from whoever stole it, and therefore nothing to fear.

A Question of Perspective

I’ve been asked to share a few words about the reported theft of 900,000 records of past and p1resent RAF service personnel, often with bank account details.

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We should put this in perspective. This is an isolated incident. There is no reason to suppose that the thief has any idea of the value of this data on the black market. In any event, most of these staff have certainly had their details lost already. This will be true if they have children, have taken driving tests recently, are also members of Al Quaeda or the Iraqi security services, have been in prison or use local GP services. All of this data has already been lost or transmitted to the “toxic soup” pool of shared data, as it were.

Brilliant, brilliant stuff: kudos.