The government's done it again...

[Whiternoise]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8066586.stm

Speaks for itself really...

[format]

Surely any and all sensitive data would be encrypted to the highest level?

[MadduckUK]

Surely any and all sensitive data would be encrypted to the highest level?

of course it is, the passwords still password though

[Dareos]

Thanks Madduck, been at this all day and never thought of that, was sure it was Admin, God, Power or 1337

ps : is that case sensitive?

[lego batman]

Since there are loads of reports of really important files/embarrassing going missing but not really any of more mundane stuff being lost, do these people deliberately lose the tasty stuff?

[Lucio]

Since there are loads of reports of really important files/embarrassing going missing but not really any of more mundane stuff being lost, do these people deliberately lose the tasty stuff?

They do, but no one cares, and therein lies the real cause. If people can't be bothered to look after the mundane data, they won't really be able to look after the sensitive data.

[Whiternoise]

Passwords or no, in the right hands it's crackable - and i imagine worth a fair amount to people even if it's encrypted.

[yamangman]

Actually, they haven't done again. This is just a revelation of the type of data that has gone missing from a previously reported set of missing data.

[Whiternoise]

I thought they discovered that in addition to the previous loss, they'd also managed to lose 500 files with vetting data. Still a revelation though!

Some 500 files with details of affairs, debt and drug use were also lost, BBC Two's Who's Watching You? will say.

[666moe666]

This was bound to happen again. It will probably happen again soon aswell, which is the worrying thing.

[CaseyV9]

shows the lost files contained "details of criminal convictions, investigations, precise details of debt, medical conditions, drug abuse, use of prostitutes, extra-marital affairs including the names of third parties".

and

"They'd ask you questions such as: is there anything unusual about your sex life? Have you had affairs? Used prostitutes? That sort of thing. If the information got into the wrong hands then it could leave people wide open."

So what exactly would this information be used for then? Err, apart from bribing and blackmailing the people they have this kind of dirt on.

It's like with Scientology where they get to know all your dirty little secrets to hang you with. I can understand the criminal convictions. But affair and stuff. WTF

[Salazaar]

Call me a cynic but isn't this just the BBC sensationalising an old story to pimp a new TV show?

[Whiternoise]

shows the lost files contained "details of criminal convictions, investigations, precise details of debt, medical conditions, drug abuse, use of prostitutes, extra-marital affairs including the names of third parties".

and

"They'd ask you questions such as: is there anything unusual about your sex life? Have you had affairs? Used prostitutes? That sort of thing. If the information got into the wrong hands then it could leave people wide open."

So what exactly would this information be used for then? Err, apart from bribing and blackmailing the people they have this kind of dirt on.

It's like with Scientology where they get to know all your dirty little secrets to hang you with. I can understand the criminal convictions. But affair and stuff. WTF

So they can ruin your life if you spill the beans on anything confidential?

I dunno, it sounds pretty suspicious - though no doubt they say it's psychological profiling... A lot of the stuff in the first quoted sentence is available to most insurance companies and banks anyway. If you apply for a loan or a mortgage, they can easily pull up every transaction with that gentleman's shop and check your criminal record, if you've ever been in debt, how long, that sort of thing. Presumably they want a two way relationship - i.e. you get to see the country's private information, we get to know all your private information.

[shamend143]

losers !

[Vetro]

Passwords or no, in the right hands it's crackable - and i imagine worth a fair amount to people even if it's encrypted.

No kind of protection can be deemed perfect, people will always find a way around it.

[Butuz]

of course it is, the passwords still password though

Ahahahhaha you actually think it's all encrypted?



Butuz