Missing data, another thing?

[Loosehead]

a) Why could it possibly be necessary to copy the data onto a couple of CD's? We have spent a billion quid on government computer systems in recent years surely they could sent the stuff electronically.
b) Even if you are going to copy it, how come some numpty with sh1t for brains has the access?
c) if it did needed to be copiied and sent why not send it via courier from A to B?
Even though I'm a Tory I don't blame the government I blame the civil service but sh1t will stick to the governement. Old Gordy must be wondering when something's going to go right!

[daffy654]

It was put onto disc as a backup I believe,it was supposed to be couriered from A to B but the numpty concerned either forgot or couldn't be bothered.

[Loosehead]

I work for a major bank in IT, there is a multitude of industry standard software for transmitting data, encrypted from A to B, this may be for backup or otherwise. There is no possible need to actually put the data on CD I just don't get it.

[Loosehead]

I'm shocked Raggy! I started my first IT job in 1983, even then they where transmitting electronically! We keep hearing about a squillion quid spent on governement IT, where's it all gone? Prescot's Diary?

[4GS]

Ermmmmmmm..........
when it come4s to I.T I'm as thick as a plate ofr mince, but..............

wouldn't all this very information be password protected? if not, why not?
please explain

[Loosehead]

probably would have been in it's paraent system, hence part b) of my question.

[sp1814]

4GS

The data on the disks were password protected, but if they fell into the wrong hands, passwords are pretty easy to decrypt.

There are already software cracks out there used by nasty hacking people to identify passwords.

What is surprising is that the volume of data would be pretty small. Two CDs worth is less than a couple of gigabytes. This can be transmitted across the country in a matter of seconds.

Within a couple of days, the tabloids will print a picture of the junior member of staff who did this.

I actually feel really sorry for him/her.

Whoever it is will be crucified.

[4GS]

President Truman had a sign on his desk in the White House which read:
"The buck stops here" which as you know meant that, as the head of the government, he was ultimatly responsible for all its wrong-doings.

Who, (if anyone) in the UK should fall on their sword for this latest government fiasco?

[Lucy Thomas]

Sword falling is sadly a thing of the past. Unfortunately the first act of any MP being promoted to the cabinet is swift removal of the spine.

[squarebear]

I think the data was put on to a disc at the request of a Prince Unbutu of Nigeria. He has $6 million worth of gold bullion to shift apparently.

[jno]

4GS, the department boss responsible has alrady quit, I believe, and rightly so. I can't see that Darling should do so; he needs to ensure proper rules are in place but he's not personally responsible for every clerk who breaks them.

Loosehead, are you seriously advocating they send all this information via one of their super-efficient, super-secure computer systems? Frankly, I'd sooner trust TNT. Who of course lost this lot, but I suspect their efficiency levels are still better than those of a government computer.

[river]

O I reckon they made it up as an excuse to fire the 'top' dude or the tories stole it so they could make the old lab look like COMPLETE fu*k ups!

That is the theory of River..whos with me? :o )

R

[WaldoMcFroog]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIte m&rd=1&item=290184203092

Need I say more..?

[4GS]

Waldo
I really hope that whoever is selling those disks on ebay is winding us up

[WaldoMcFroog]

Actually, I do need say more.

The base flaw that has led to this debacle is that the Audit Office is not on the Government Secure Intranet (GSI), hence they couldn't transmit it electonically.

I suspect the money may be found to include it quite soon...

The joke (it's a bit of a Bernard Manning joke in that it's not at all funny) is that if the Audit Office use the same outsourcing firm that processed the details of everyone of our public sector workers under the National Fraud Initiative earlier in the year, even if it had been transmitted safely, it would have been processed by a bunch of kids on minimum wage, which is obviously a very secure way to handle such information...

Mmm - I want ID cards even more now.

[WaldoMcFroog]

John, rest assured that's just a wind up!

[spaced]

i think many head shave to role for this. The Junior employee who posted it for one.

I understand that cost cuts are important but for such sensitive material, surely electronically or by courier should be standard practice. Its an absolute joke

[Emu2005]

I don't understand a couple of things here - are they some super special cds or something? I thought all cds could only hold small amounts of data and can't believe all this was contained on just 2 cds?

Also - the blame is being placed on the junior who posted these items. How is it his fault? He sent them by courier as per department policy - surely whoever decided to transfer data in this way is to blame?? And how come they can't track them with the courier people?

all seems a little fishy to me....