Loss of RAF Data
Join Date: Oct 2004
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Totally agree that governmental IT is in the dark ages as far as having a responsible attitude to data security and needs to sharpen up.
However, we live in the real world and you need to look after Number #1 - if your current job requires you to carry stuff around unencrypted on a work / personal laptop, I would strongly recommend TrueCrypt - it's free, flexible and very,very strong.
However, we live in the real world and you need to look after Number #1 - if your current job requires you to carry stuff around unencrypted on a work / personal laptop, I would strongly recommend TrueCrypt - it's free, flexible and very,very strong.
Red On, Green On
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Indeed - one would hope that whatever the rank, and commissioned or not, they would be adequately trained and monitored, and using systems that are fit for purpose.
Red On, Green On
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That last comment went way over your head, AIDU. A suitable system, might for example, limit the number/age/type of records that could be downloaded, and prevent the download of personally sensitive data.
It might even ensure that that no or little personal data was held on a laptop, but viewed and manipulated over a secure link. It might also be fully encrypted, which seems not to be the case here.
It might even ensure that that no or little personal data was held on a laptop, but viewed and manipulated over a secure link. It might also be fully encrypted, which seems not to be the case here.
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Weeman18
There are so many people implicated here, and as you say, why is a man/woman carrying your data 1 year after you have left. Find a good no win no fee lawer and go for it. Your security has been compromised --for what? You could for example, quite rightly want to sell your home and move address etc. Be one of the first in, the lawers will be itching for a case, as everyone else will take them on when they win.
There are so many people implicated here, and as you say, why is a man/woman carrying your data 1 year after you have left. Find a good no win no fee lawer and go for it. Your security has been compromised --for what? You could for example, quite rightly want to sell your home and move address etc. Be one of the first in, the lawers will be itching for a case, as everyone else will take them on when they win.
Red On, Green On
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Your security has been compromised --for what? You could for example, quite rightly want to sell your home and move address etc. Be one of the first in, the lawers will be itching for a case, as everyone else will take them on when they win.
I can't see it happening right now. The idea that you need to move house to counter the risk of the MOD laptop is not viable, IMHO.
Red On, Green On
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But a no win no fee lawyer won't take it on if they reckon they have such a small chance of winning a very small amount. You'd have to front the costs, and be prepared to pay the costs of the other side if you lost.
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I suspect, though, that most of this data is 'Staff in Confidence' whereas by virtue of the sheer volume of sensitive personal information it should be handled as Secret or Top Secret.
The only silver lining to this cloud is that the ID cards scheme will never be implemented. The No 2 ID campaign's support base is likely to number in the hundreds of thousands or even millions, as opposed to thousands ot tens of thousands.
This is a catastrophic breach of the Data Protection Act.
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I have been told that to ascertain if your data is included, you have to supply more data to specifically identify you. Not unreasonable in the first instance, but why so much info to say - yes you have been compromised...Surely a name 'Fred Bloggs' is or is not included. If it IS included, then is is up to you to pursue if indeed it was your Fred Bloggs data. If Fred Bloggs' name is not on the list, you can remain anonymous.
How hard is that?.
.
How hard is that?.
.
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In the case of my relative airborne artist, that could actually happen. They were contacted immediately by phone and given a special 'panic' number. Their personal saftey could be compromised. Absolutely furious about the whole thing!
PPatRoN
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Some comfort for ageing SERE types. Although I fall in the "enquired, applied or joined within the last ten years" band, I've received the "there are no records on the database relating to you" email. Maybe the data dump was filtered by age.
adr
adr
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Unencrypted!
Didn't know there were any official unencrypted laptops out there. Certainly the rules about a year or so back called for the declaration of all the unencrypted laptops to be given protection.
Oh, I forgot, if some rules were ignored why not ignore the encryption rules too after all they make access difficult.
Was it even an MOD laptop and not a private one with the incident being reported only in case the military database on a private laptop turns up in the currant bun?
Didn't know there were any official unencrypted laptops out there. Certainly the rules about a year or so back called for the declaration of all the unencrypted laptops to be given protection.
Oh, I forgot, if some rules were ignored why not ignore the encryption rules too after all they make access difficult.
Was it even an MOD laptop and not a private one with the incident being reported only in case the military database on a private laptop turns up in the currant bun?
Just thought this might be of interest
I wonder what will happen to the RN chap?
Royal Air Force Wing Commander David Farquhar is not an internal auditor. But, on December 17, 1990 he discovered a security problem when a laptop that he had been using was stolen from an RAF staff car.
At the time the incident occurred, Farquhar was a member of the staff of Air Chief Marshal Sir Patrick Hine, Joint Commander of British Forces in the Persian Gulf. Farquhar was returning from a briefing for British Prime Minister John Major on plans for Operation Desert Storm when he stopped at a car dealership to examine several secondhand Range Rovers.
When Farquhar and his driver returned to the staff car, the laptop and two briefcases containing what were described as "sensitive papers" had been removed from it. The briefcases were recovered from a rubbish dumpster within hours, their contents apparently intact.
Royal Air Force officials concluded that the laptop had been taken by a petty thief rather than by an intelligence agent, and that the unit most likely had been taken in a so-called "crime of opportunity" by someone who apparently was unaware of the nature of what he was stealing. Reportedly, the subsequent RAF investigation concluded that the laptop most likely had been sold by the thief to someone who deals in the purchase and resale of stolen goods. Eventually the incident and the publicity surrounding it cost Farquhar his career.
At the time the incident occurred, Farquhar was a member of the staff of Air Chief Marshal Sir Patrick Hine, Joint Commander of British Forces in the Persian Gulf. Farquhar was returning from a briefing for British Prime Minister John Major on plans for Operation Desert Storm when he stopped at a car dealership to examine several secondhand Range Rovers.
When Farquhar and his driver returned to the staff car, the laptop and two briefcases containing what were described as "sensitive papers" had been removed from it. The briefcases were recovered from a rubbish dumpster within hours, their contents apparently intact.
Royal Air Force officials concluded that the laptop had been taken by a petty thief rather than by an intelligence agent, and that the unit most likely had been taken in a so-called "crime of opportunity" by someone who apparently was unaware of the nature of what he was stealing. Reportedly, the subsequent RAF investigation concluded that the laptop most likely had been sold by the thief to someone who deals in the purchase and resale of stolen goods. Eventually the incident and the publicity surrounding it cost Farquhar his career.
DVA Reports
Anyone who have been recently interviewed - or re-interviewed for a DV or similar will be aware of the requirement to be offered a copy of the report (as it is held on a data-base). If you ask for that copy, it will be, as a default, be sent by second class post to your home address in a window envelope (with the DVA header clearly visible). No signature required, no positive control over a highly sensitive document.
Mrs W opened the envelope guessing it was my OJAR and read the report... but my concern is the sloppy disregard of the handling of personal information by an organisation that is largly built on trust and absolute discretion.
Mrs W opened the envelope guessing it was my OJAR and read the report... but my concern is the sloppy disregard of the handling of personal information by an organisation that is largly built on trust and absolute discretion.
Wader 2 you are incorrect. The Wg Cdr was not promoted. He was Court Martialled and, despite several very senior officers speaking in his defence, he was fined and lost all his seniority as a Wg Cdr with pension implications. He retired a couple of years later still a Wg Cdr (very junior).