Government have lost millions child benefit bank details

Optimist

You can bid for them on Ebay !

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290184203092

mr_mallon

I've just requested the following e-petition on the 10 Downing Street website. I'll post the link when the prtition is approved.

Petition_Details wrote:

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to make provision for free credit checks for the 7.25 million families effected by the loss of their personal data.

Submitted by Dave Mallon – Deadline to sign up by: 21 November 2008

Category: Economics and finance
More details:
Following the loss of computer discs containing the personal and banking details of some 7.25 million families, I believe it is reasonable for the Government to provide annual credit reports in order to allow potential victims of fraud resulting from this situation. These reports should be issued annually until such a time as the discs are recovered and absolute proof that they have not been accessed has been obtained.

It's only reasonable that the Government provide the means for us to monitor our credit, as this information will be very handy for anyone wishing to clone an identity.

Don't ya think?

James

mr_mallon wrote: »

I've just requested the following e-petition on the 10 Downing Street website. I'll post the link when the prtition is approved.


It's only reasonable that the Government provide the means for us to monitor our credit, as this information will be very handy for anyone wishing to clone an identity.

Don't ya think?

Unfortunately if and when you do spot something untoward on your account it's too late.

Maybe are request to government to put information about www.freeidprotection.co.uk on the Home Office and APACS websites maybe a better idea. I hope Martin begins to look at this.

Mikeyorks

mr_mallon wrote: »

Don't ya think?

No. If the data does get into the wrong hands - an annual check will be a year too late.

Mikeyorks

blind-as-a-bat wrote: »

To be able to password protect a computer file or data it has to be encrypted in some way otherwise the password is pointless so the two are one and the same.

Hence why i said it should be disclosed

It's been disclosed. The discs were password protected - they were not encrypted ............. and it is nothing like being 'one and the same'

Mikeyorks

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit/customer-update.htm

..... there's a bit more data on the HMRC website - by Dave Hartnett, who is on the HMRC Board and probably acting Chairman at the moment.

Of particular interest to those who were asking 'will benefits continue to be paid'. There was no doubt (from both Chancellor and PM) that was the case - but this provides the extra re-assurance some seem to seek.

wherediditallgo

Mikeyorks wrote: »

It's been disclosed. The discs were password protected - they were not encrypted ............. and it is nothing like being 'one and the same'

Just as I thought. I wouldn't be surprised if the password protection was pretty useless. I password protect personal Word documents regularly to prevent someone else opening them, but I don't encrypt the contents themselves - the password is something I think only I would know, but if someone wanted to try hard enough I suppose they could guess it or work it out. My documents however aren't of any real importance to anyone but me, & certainly have no national importance. If this department is anything like previous establishments I've worked in, the password will be a general team/departmental one known to more than one person in the department rather than linked to the individual staff member, & once access is gained I bet the data is easily readable.

Garetha

Optimist wrote: »

You can bid for them on Ebay !

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290184203092

Ebay have removed the spoof auction - but not before a copy was pasted on another website.

see this thread if you want a smile http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=602875

Steel_2

cwp500 wrote: »

how about a conspiracy theory on this one?

Is it all some clodhopping false flag excercise?

Interesting theory...how about this one. Someone wants Alistair Darling and Gordon Brown looking bad, sweating blood and out in the next election. Paul Gray agreed to take the fall in exchange for being well looked after for the rest of his life by an unknown and shadowy group of 'friends'.

After all, it's a bit unusual that the head of HMRC took the rap for some junior's mistake. Surely the Head of his Department would take the rap for not impressing upon him in his training the importance of security? Either that or Mr Gray asked a junior to bypass the usual security routes and do it?

Mr Darling and Mr Brown read Mr Gray the riot act 10 days ago: find the bloody discs before we have to go public or you're out chummo. Mr Gray couldn't [strike]quite recall which briefcase he'd put the discs in after retrieving them from the mail tray[/strike] find them and offered immediate resignation to help them save face.

It seems to me today the more outlandish your imagination is when it comes to government behaviour the closer to the truth you end up being.

Debt_Free_Chick

Steel wrote: »

Someone wants Alistair Darling and Gordon Brown looking bad, sweating blood and out in the next election.

That narrows down the suspects to a few million then :rotfl: