Linux Format forums

[nelz]

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

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"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." (Albert Einstein)

[Dutch_Master]

LOL

(for those not in the know: 2 data disks from some governement agency were lost in the post recently, containing details of child benifit recievers affecting about 25 million people in the UK, see also the BBC website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/default.stm )

<edit: made the link work again>

[ollie]

Wow ... two pages that no longer exist!

Why would you send data disks through the postal service? Some mail items have taken 100 years to be delivered. A secure courier service with online package tracking is quite reasonable these days.

If it is highly sensitive get someone to drive them there - the UK is that small you could get from one end to the other in a day!

[towy71]

Ollie they used TNT which boasts of their state of the art tracking
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still looking for that door into summer

[MartyBartfast]

[nelz]

That last time I used TNT to deliver a CD, it arrived in lots of small pieces, which is probably more secure than the encryption that HMRC apparently failed to use.
_________________
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." (Albert Einstein)

[nordle]

Several things stand out.

1. Why wasn't it encrypted.
2. Why would it cost a fortune to write a query to return only the required data.
3. Items of this nature should be sent using Special/Recorrded delivery.
4. If it was so important, why leave to a "junior" member of staff.
5. They "think its still on government property", why have they no clue as to where these discs are

They go on at the public about Data Protection Act this and Data Protection Act that when you want to find out any information, its just unbelievable incompetence.
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I think, therefore I compile

[nelz]

Why did a Junior member of staff have the access to pull the entire database and write it to CD?

Why was the data not sanitised before being sent for audit (this is a breach of the Data Protection Act)?

Why are we being told that there is not enough information to access bank accounts, and told to watch our accounts for suspicious activity?
_________________
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." (Albert Einstein)

[M-Saunders]

I wonder why they were even posting discs in the first place? Even if they were both double-sided, dual-layer DVDs, it wouldn't take long to transfer on a decent connection.

M

[nelz]

Because the "junior" member of staff didn't know how to work the Internet?
Or because everyone knows the Internet isn't secure?

Of course, they could have used a P2P network, that's probably where some of it will end up anyway
_________________
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." (Albert Einstein)

[towy71]

These people want to use a database to securely store our ID card info
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still looking for that door into summer

[nelz]

No, no. That's the Home Office, this is HMRC. The Home Office don't lose CDs, only prisoners...
_________________
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." (Albert Einstein)

[towy71]

I meant the whole bloody lot of them Brown, Darling, Smith et al.
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still looking for that door into summer

[nelz]

This has nothing to do with the politicians, just a bunch of incompetent jobsworths
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"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." (Albert Einstein)

[nordle]

I've been on the phone for 40mins trying to get through to Student Loans Company.
The statement for 2005/06 year shows I paid nothing, which is incorrect by about £665. Turns out HMRC have not sent them the correct Tax details for that year becuase there was a huge cockup and 100,000's+ people have incorrect tax details, showing no NI payments etc etc

So I've now overpayed my student loan (partly my own fault for not fixing a date). But I do have a spreadsheet showing payments and projected settlement, so knew how much I'd paid so the guy on the phone would send out a cancel notice to employer. Other folk might not be even that organised.
If I'd not done this, it would continue to overpay for a whole other year, until the next statement.

HMRC overpaid my Grans benefit because they miscalculated it to the tune of £3k over 18mths.
They demanded the £3k back, AND they add interest onto it.

When we overpay them, as my Parents did recently, do we get interest back, hell no. In some cases, you'll be lucky to get anything back (thinking of those who claim outisde of 6 year rule).

HMRC - Discs
HMRC - Loans / Tax
HMRC - Overpayment claims
HMRC - VAT evasion case on Alcohol

A bloody shambles!

(I wouldn't be so mad but for the 40mins it took to actually speak to someone!)

EDIT: And I'm going to have to send copies of P60 + Payslips If I want to claim the money back before November 2008!!
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I think, therefore I compile