Another MoD harddrive missing

**wheelchairwarrier** · 10-10-2008, 05:10

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7662604.stm

"An investigation is under way into the disappearance of a computer hard drive containing the personal details of about 100,000 of the Armed Forces.

The information was being held by EDS, which is the Ministry of Defence's main IT contractor.

The MoD said the portable hard drive went missing on Wednesday during a priority audit carried out by EDS."

How damm incompitent can these people get ?

WW

**Wija** · 10-10-2008, 05:42

Are there that many still in the Armed forces???

**hackle** · 10-10-2008, 06:36

this from TimesOnline

MoD loses hard drive with troop and family details
Richard Kerbaj

The Ministry of Defence has begun an investigation into its worst information security breach after a portable hard drive with details of about 100,000 servicemen and women and 800,000 applicants to join the Armed Services was found to be missing on Wednesday.

Sensitive details of the family members of personnel were also among the data stored, including bank details and passport numbers.

The portable hard drive â€” which is believed not to have been encrypted â€” was used by EDS, the MoDâ€™s main IT contractor, to test computer equipment. It could have been missing for several days.

â€œThe matter is being investigated by MoD police,â€ an MoD spokeswoman said last night. â€œWe were informed by EDS that it was unable to account for a portable hard drive used in connection with the administration of Armed Forces personnel data. This came to light during a priority audit EDS is conducting to comply with the Cabinet Office data handling review.â€

Source http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle4916239.ece

**zubrzycki** · 10-10-2008, 06:43

800,000 applicants? now THAT has just proved its an insurance scam!

if we were lucky then we would just scrape 100,000 service personnel at best i think!

**meridian** · 10-10-2008, 06:46

Surely after everything that has happened and the massive press coverage about information security, this is a joke

EDS just simply need their contracts terminating immediately and criminal action taken against its directors, no ifs no buts

Unless someone in the public sector is made a very serious example of this is a problem that is not going to go away

**Litotes** · 10-10-2008, 06:49

My records will be alright; papyrus records have no value whatsoever! :D

Litotes

**hackle** · 10-10-2008, 06:57

Re the figures. UK regular armed forces (incl trainees) about 187K wef 01 Apr 08. Regular Army about 105K. As to the number of enquiries, there are naturally far more enquiries than actually join.

**western** · 10-10-2008, 07:05

Originally Posted by meridian

Surely after everything that has happened and the massive press coverage about information security, this is a joke

Just proves that Information Securityis a joke I'm afraid

Anyway who cares if this stuff goes missing? Where are the headlines showing how it has been misused, er, nowhere. Like Infosec it is all p1ss and wind.

**DogsHadMeTea** · 10-10-2008, 07:10

Why has the person who lost the hard drive not been arrested,
Is every person who holds a position of responsability in this Bloody country Stupid...
JESUS BLOODY CHRIST.........

**meridian** · 10-10-2008, 07:12

Originally Posted by western

Originally Posted by meridian

Surely after everything that has happened and the massive press coverage about information security, this is a joke

Just proves that Information Securityis a joke I'm afraid

Anyway who cares if this stuff goes missing? Where are the headlines showing how it has been misused, er, nowhere. Like Infosec it is all p1ss and wind.

Haven't we been around this one before :D

**Gunner_REMF** · 10-10-2008, 07:31

EDS are losing the contract to Hewlett Packard so the beat of Jungle Drums tell me. Funny how it's come to light now.....

Ubique

**tich23** · 10-10-2008, 07:39

They haven't lost it to HP, HP bought them for $13 billion a few months ago.

**Daxx** · 10-10-2008, 07:44

One would think that an IT provider would be bright enough to have encrypted its' laptop harddrives, anticipating one may go 'missing'.

Regrettably some people are just plain stupid.

**Blogg** · 10-10-2008, 07:51

The most worrying aspect of this and other cases of Government data loss is how such a mass of sensitive data comes to be on a portable mass storage device in the first place. How many other copies of databases are knocking around on portable drives, laptops or DVD ROM? Why?

The answer in large part is that none of it matters to the people concerned. Just data they play with.

It has to be made to matter and matter a lot, which means personal sanctions against the muppets concerned and the management chain. Far too easy for contract staff to drift into a badly managed environment and when it all goes tits up drift off again and all the remaining parties can carry on as usual because they can point to "action" having been taken.

**western** · 10-10-2008, 07:54

Originally Posted by meridian

Originally Posted by western

Originally Posted by meridian

Surely after everything that has happened and the massive press coverage about information security, this is a joke

Just proves that Information Securityis a joke I'm afraid

Anyway who cares if this stuff goes missing? Where are the headlines showing how it has been misused, er, nowhere. Like Infosec it is all p1ss and wind.

Haven't we been around this one before :D

My point