Data is used in almost everything we do these days, there are many more ways for companies, people at home or the government to lose data. But it keeps happening.
Banks, the 100+ departments of local councils, (including libraries) and every website you buy or register on. The list is endless, and like this case, Data can be held on laptops, PDA’s and Smartphones, memory sticks, CD/DVD's, flash cards and USB Drives. All this data should be protected. There’s no excuse for the MOD, Inland Revenue, the DVLA and Banks not to encrypt data.
I don’t blame the PM or the politicians, I blame the education of simple IT skills and common sense of companies and individuals.
The MOD and the government has the funds and resources to keep equipment up to date and train staff in the proper use of encryption or data security & distribution. The problem here though is that they don’t keep things up to date. My local library in Norwich has only just upgraded the computers from Windows 2000 to Windows XP. Windows 2000 was released in 1999, almost 10 years ago. The Department of Social Security only upgraded theirs in 2006. Barclays Bank, still uses Windows 2000... Why?
If they upgraded to Windows Vista for example (and I don’t want posts moaning about Microsoft or how crap vista is, get a life). For the Business and Ultimate editions, the IT guys can deploy Bitlocker [ http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/features/details/bitlocker.mspx ] to protect data. With Windows XP (and Vista), using the NTFS file system, they can encrypt all files on a PC or Laptop, only accessed with anyone having the users public key.
All databases should be remotely accessed via secure connections and only delegated, trained users given access to the data.
When will people learn. If Software and Hardware is kept up to date, and people are informed and trained in the proper use of data, nothing should go wrong, and data should be a lot safer than it is now.
Personally I’m paranoid of handing my details over to anyone now. Being a IT Professional, it pains me to see the lack of concern to protect data at the source. This is how mistakes are made. Being in breach of the Data Protection Act, you could probably sue the company who was so sloppy with your personal details.
What do you guys think? Are you worried about giving out your personal details, or scared that what you have already given, will be lost?