Information Security News: Data on 130,000 criminals lost

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/2601056/Data-on-130000-criminals-lost.html

By Robert Winnett and Jon Swaine
Telegraph.co.uk
August 22, 2008

Confidential information on almost 130,000 prisoners and dangerous 
criminals has been lost by the Home Office, sparking yet another 
Government data crisis.

The loss of the details, which were stored on an unencypted computer 
memory stick, has raised fears that the taxpayer may now face a 
multi-million pound compensation bill from criminals whose safety may 
have been compromised and police informants who could be at risk of 
reprisals.

The home addresses of some of Britain's most prolific and serious 
offenders - including those who have committed violent and sexual crimes
- are understood to be among the missing data.

A full investigation is now underway to find the memory stick . 
containing information on all 84,000 prisoners in England and Wales, 
including some release dates, plus details of 43,000 most serious and 
persistent offenders . which was descibed as a 'toxic liability' by 
David Smith, the Deputy Information Commissioner.

[...]


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