...is it always unencrypted? I never see headlines with "Hard drives/CDs lost containing mountains of securely encrypted data, risk minimal."

It is EASY, any mildly competent "IT guy" that doesn't deserve to be flogged and promptly sacked knows how to encrypt sensitive data, especially if it's going to be transported/portable in any way.

"Access to the room in question is via two successive manned security doors. Visitors need a pass and an escort to pass between the two doors"

They probably got in through the Windows - I've heard Windows can be very insecure.

Yes, please, mine's the straightjacket. Can you just tie the arms there? Ta...

Sorry I'm still wiping the coffee from my screen. Even the military haven't learned the basic lessons. Can someone please steal all the personal data from every MP / MSP and while we're at it all the police. Until then even Bond is't safe !

I'm just getting my coat . . . yes everything seems in order sir . . . can you escort me to the gate - I always get lost on this empty base.

Why on earth do they not use some form of disk encryption like PointSec ?

Is this a new standard that is just a bit bigger than 3.5" Hard Drives?

The site never has much in the way of perimeter security, even under the RAF. After 9/11, the guard on the main gate looked a bit more alert, but there is still miles of rickety fence around the back. Some of that was improved when they sold off a substantial amount of land for housing, it was around that time a small hut next to the firing range, adorned with a sign reading "Radioactive, no loitering" was changed to "Inflammable, keep out".

Hi guys.

Having worked in the past for a defence contractor the basic requirements of securing data are in two principals.

1) The site is secure, and therefore so is the data.

2) When the data is finished with disks are to be wiped to the set standard.

I am sure you can see a few problems with that. If anyone has any problems with me writing this visit the GSA (or their new name which I can't remember) and its all for all to see. Having said all that this was 2 years ago and so there may have been a substantial change. I doubt it.

How about everyone over there petition your government to simply get rid of all this "security" non sense. Take everyones records, transpose them into word documents then take those documents and burn them onto DVDs. Then send a copy of the DVDs to every household address in the country. There problem solved, everyones data is out in the wild and none of this having egg of their faces for yet another breech in security. No muss, no fuss, no trials everyone is happy.

There is no legal requirement mandating encryption in the public sector, or most sectors for that matter. It's only the banking sector which has such regulations.

Paris - Because she has more sense than some of these complete numptys.

cant they encrypt the information. its not as if it costs a fortune. and its not that hard either. havent they heard of truecrypt.

It was the milkman! Have you never noticed that just about every Avenger episode is set on an old RAF base.

Then along comes the cyborg/crim/maniac/spy on his milk float and does the deed....flipping obvious to us armchair dicks. (I mean detectives :))

Mines the leather one with Emma Peel...........oh my god!

I agree with you there AC. I think it's totally amazing (and unforgivable) that the Personnel/Pensions department of a large organisation has a database of all current and previous employees. What was the purpose of that? Way legitimate use could they have for it? Invasive and creepy, as you said.

...is not so much the security aspect (securing media that is) as the reason all this data is being kept.

After all, prior to the introduction of computers (say, 1960), did they retain all this data?

I rather think not. The problem seems to be that it's now so easy to store the data - insecurely of course - that there's a magpie tendency to acquire and hoard everything... Useful or not, relevant or not.

Er... Hang on a minute. If they did not have my details... how would I get paid, or claim my pension.

I think you'll find that pre-1960 they had lots of overly polite ladies who lived in the filing cabinets who made sure I would be paid.

Its not *having* the data here that matters... it's the not SECURING it that's pee'd me off. Hmph.

Mines the one with a HD in the pocketses

'T was the Deep ones...

The office could obviously be accessed through a hatch, leading to a watery tunnel.

RAF-personnel will now start disappearing under mystic circumstances. Some, but not all will be found again. Alas, all found will be raving mad.

</lovecraft>

I pointed out the irony of sending information through the post that makes me uniquely identifiable to discover what information they may have lost that makes me uniquely identifiable!!

Mine's the one with the keys for the security doors in the pocket........

Perhaps I'm thinking a bit too simple here but it sounds to me more like someone just fancied a bit more room for their pr0n collection.

The locked cupboard was probably the stationery cupboard or something and the person with light fingers probably thought they were old crap that would never be missed.

I bet they're shitting themselves now though.

Being Irish, the title is a bit painful for me to write....

Honestly though, people fighting for their country (even if they are unaware of the real reasons) should not ever be in a psoition where they and their families are targets to both terrorists and ID thieves.

Maybe after the last recruitment drive, when their numbers were dwindling after insane invasions they had too many applicants and this is their method of reducing applications?

Also@ John Watts- I think you may just have hit the nail on the head, Mate!