And yet another one!

And this time with impeccable timing.

In the UK it is "National Identity Fraud Prevention Week" a worthy cause without doubt in a country that certainly needs to do something as anyone who reads this blog at least will know.

Unfortunately, once again, those in charge of data have been caught with their trousers down. This time it appears that the culprits are contractors to the Ministry of Defence, EDS who have "lost track of a portable hard drive."

There is a report in the International Herald Tribune, from which the following extract is taken:

The military confirmed a report in The Sun newspaper that contractor EDS lost track of a portable hard drive, but said it could not comment on the claim that it contains names, addresses, passport numbers and driver's license information of service personnel along with data on 600,000 potential recruits

The IHT continues:

The British government has struggled to get a handle on data losses even as it rolls out an ambitious national identification card program. Last year's loss of computer disks containing information — including banking records — on nearly half the U.K. population caught international attention. A steady stream of data blunders since then has kept the spotlight on the way the government handles — or mishandles — its citizens' information..

I read that following the world-wide financial crisis, sales of safes have soared. Perhaps in future someone might just have the idea that a safe is a good place to keep confidential records too?

Until the next time

P.S. HTM 'ell is up to its tricks again - sorry, I am utterly powerless to control this Frankenstein's monster