D A T A L O S S

[JackRyan]

BBC NEWS | UK | Blackmail fear over lost RAF data (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8066586.stm)

[Pontius Navigator]

Looks more like data theft than data loss. More like someone was after the content of the disks than the disks themselves.

I admit to having a box of legacy floppies that I use from time to time on 'sneaker' net but honestly don't know what is on all of them. Really I should apply the 6 month and 12 month rules and simply destroy most of them.

I would guess there are dozens on gash floppies and CD lying around. If anything the CDs are worse as they are now being used as floppies once were but are generally once only and therefore permanently readable.

[Duckandcover]

It's enough to make you cry.

Makes a mockery of some of the day to day basic security measures when information like this is disappearing from places where people should know better.

..and don't even get me started on idiots losing/getting laptops stolen.

:ugh:

If it was theft and the information was handled correctly, you'd expect them to know who took it, or who allowed it to be taken. I hope they got a P45.

[SirPercyWare-Armitag]

"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 these people are RAF Officers? Why haven't they resigned their commissions? :E

[VinRouge]

Certainly makes you wonder whether it is worth telling them anything on a DV... :mad:

[A and C]

If the military can't keep information secure what chance do we have with the national ID card data?

[Cows getting bigger]

Can't tell you. That's a secret. :)

[endplay]

So my DV secrets are out there. Now the world will know what an extraordinarily ordinary bu**er I am.

[Duckandcover]

There's a big drive for everyone to do new mandatory data courses. If that tick in the box is received and then you f**k up, you should be out. IMO, for losing information at DV level you should be put in prison, irrespective of your grade/rank.

I don't think that opinion is too Daily Mail. Too many idiots are ignorant of I.T and it's capablities or the way data can be used.

Sir Percy, I believe you have identified the criteria for a transition from from Eton to the House of Commons. :)

[Cows getting bigger]

endplay, shot yourself in the foot there somewhat. Now we all know you have been DV'd. :ugh:

[spheroid]

Doesn't everyone get DV'd? Surely all aircrew get DV'd as a matter of course...?

[c130jbloke]

You are only DV'd if the role you are posted to requires it.

As for officers quitting when the dirty little secrets come out - why ?

Have you met our MPs ?

[LFFC]

Defence Vetting Agency - Frequently Asked Questions - Safeguards (http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/SecurityandIntelligence/DVA/DefenceVettingAgencyFrequentlyAskedQuestionsSafeguards.htm)

How confidential is the vetting process?
All personal information gathered during the vetting process is handled in the strictest confidence by the DVA. In a very small number of cases, where serious risks have been identified, we may discuss the case with the Ministry of Defence security and personnel authorities.

Very interesting!

[Wrathmonk]

LFFC

Always been the case that if the interviewing officers consider the stuff unearthed (or volunteered) during a DV interview was of such a serious nature as to doubt your character they could refer it back to the MOD. The first course of action is usually not to be given DV clearance - this tends to set alarm bells ringing anyway! I know a couple of 'characters' (neither of them me!) who failed their DV for very different reasons which led to them to flying a different aircraft type! I also have seen individuals in flying training keen not to be role disposed to a certain aircraft type because of the need to be DV'd!

As for this number (500?) whose confidential information from their DVs has been lost may be making for some uncomfortable home lives. But to adopt the 'holier than thou' approach so often seen on this board - if you play with fire expect to get your fingers burnt!:yuk:

[VinRouge]

Does make you wonder though whether your home life is worth a DV....

THis isnt the first time. I do recall Dave Cameron's former drugs history media leak came from his DV interview as well?

Pretty disgraceful that stuff supposed to be held in such high confidence is left to leak. If I was a senior officer and this cost me my marriage, I would be looking for some serious compensation.

[NutLoose]

SirPercyWare-ArmitagWTF
"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 these people are RAF Officers? Why haven't they resigned their commissions? http://static.pprune.org/images/smilies/evil.gif

You missed the "Senior RAF staff could be at risk of blackmail"

Which by the way the current Government see things, they probably believe it is a mandatory requirement to achieve higher rank, suprised they did not add expense fraud to the list!.

:uhoh:

[ZH875]

I was a senior officer and this cost me my marriage, I would be looking for some serious compensation.


Personally, I would expect senior officers to set a much better example than using prostitutes, drugs and perhaps even rent boys and then keeping that secret from their current partners.

[ian16th]

Too many idiots are ignorant of I.T and it's capablities or the way data can be used.This is an unfortunate consequence of putting networked Personal Computers onto the desks of low grade staff.

When confidential data was on 'Data Centre' computers, the data was only handled by 'computer professionals' who realised the value off and consequences of mishandling data.

Also in those long gone 'Data Centre' days, being a 'computer operator' required training and knowledge.

[ian16th]

There is no evidence to suggest that the information held on the hard drive believed to have been stolen from the secure SPVA site at MoD Innsworth has been targeted by criminal or hostile elements.Doesn't the theft itself constitute a crime?

Therefore it was done by a 'criminal element'!

[Pontius Navigator]

On the confidentiallity bitand postings being changed, I know a V-force copilot who was told he would lose his PV if he married a Yugoslav. He did and he was posted to Canberras, 360 IIRC.

Then there was the Air Marshal who, had his posting been changed or stopped would have signalled that he had failed his PV. Instead of that 'embarassment' he was outed by the Sun or NOWS in the toilets at Shepherd's Bush. At the same time we were told that a wg cdr had made a confession to the confessors and therefore been given a clean bill of health.

So much for confidentiality. There weren't that many wg cdrs in the frame. Then a V-force nav rad was posted we knew why, too many sherbets, too often.

[ian16th]

I know a V-force copilot who was told he would lose his PV if he married a Yugoslav.Lower down the pecking order, I know of a Cpl Telegraphist who, while in 2 TAF Germany, married a Polish refugee and virtually ended his RAF career. In the Signals Office Cpl's and above handled classified signals.

[CirrusF]

I was once sent on an overseas posting where it was considered that I could be at risk of attempted compromise by a hostile intelligence service. As part of the pre-posting preparation, I had to read an extensive file about the known compromise attempts by that service. I remember it being a really entertaining afternoon's read. Typically they used to use a combination of alcohol, disinhibiting drugs and hidden cameras to film a target in varying degrees of undress and compromise, with the objective of later confronting the target and embarassing him/her into cooperation. One I remember well was the tale of a respected and senior Japanese engineer who, though happily married and with a family, was known to enjoy a varied and colourful nightlife, so was considered to be a harder target than most. So he was entrapped into a very colourful sado-masochastic bondage session with prostitutes of several different sexes. On his next trip to the country, he was confronted with a colourful and explicit album of all his activities, in the hope that he could be blackmailed into providing classified information. Unfortunately, the attempt failed, as the target broke into a broad smile, flipped through the pages eagerly, demanded to know how long the orgy had gone on for, then asked for copies of all the photos to give to his friends as they had not believed his story...

[Herc-u-lease]

..sado-masochastic bondage session with prostitutes of several different sexes.Holy smoke batman, several different sexes? - only 2 that i am aware of. Or was that part of the orgy? wasn't Thailand was it? ;)

[14greens]

if said "senior officers" had been guilty of certain things such as aldultery, use of professional "ladies" etc etc etc, are they not as likely to be at risk of threats of blackmail from the other people involved rather than whoever has got hold of the disks!!!!!!???

Does make you wonder about Govt security tho!

and were they knicked or lost? thats more worrying

[TEEEJ]

BBC2 9.00pm

Who's Watching You?

'New series. As the UK's DNA database grows and the number of CCTV cameras increases, Richard Bilton investigates the hidden world of surveillance. He visits Middlesbrough to learn about the benefits a network of over 200 cameras has brought to the community, and meets a former RAF serviceman with security clearance whose personal data was lost three times by the MoD.'

TJ

[VinRouge]

if said "senior officers" had been guilty of certain things such as aldultery, use of professional "ladies" etc etc etc, are they not as likely to be at risk of threats of blackmail from the other people involved rather than whoever has got hold of the disks!!!!!!???


Standard night out if they were former Ascoteers... :\

[L1A2 discharged]

If the info had been disclosed to the relevant authorities as part of the clearance process, where is the blackmail threat from / to?

I understood that sharing details reduced the opening for blackmail.


Maybe I am just being simple ....

[ZH875]

If you cannot blackmail the person because the MOD already know, then blackmail them because their partner/spouse/friend doesn't know.

[Pontius Navigator]

If you cannot blackmail the person because the MOD already know, then blackmail them because their partner/spouse/friend doesn't know.

This was the essential, and stupid, difference between us and the US. They required open disclosure which removed the risk of 'private' blackmail. If you didn't want family to know then you didn't make the disclosure to them and you didn't get the job.

In UK it was sufficient that you talked to the confessors. Mad. Indeed if you also talked to your flt cdr then you were likely to get an immediate admin discharge. We pilliored the spook plod that told us that one.

[nunquamparatus]

Debt, prostitutes, criminal records, drug use? Sounds like a standard navy run ashore.................:E

Oh, and for the record Mr DVA York - I am joking. Just before my computer sponaneously combusts.:sad: