Missile data found on hard drives

[formercia]

Source: BBC




Sensitive information for shooting down intercontinental missiles as well as bank details and NHS records was found on old computers, researchers say.

Of 300 hard disks bought randomly at computer fairs and an online auction site, 34% still held personal data.

Researchers from BT and the University of Glamorgan bought disks from the UK, America, Germany, France and Australia.

--snip--



Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/8036324.stm

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Contractors cutting corners again.

[hobbit709]

1. Sounds like the IT sections of these outfits

are too lazy/stupid to properly wipe a drive. It does take hours so they're in a hurry, so they just do a quick reformat and let it go.

[Locrian]

2. "lazy / stupid?" or over-worked underpaid?

Probably a 3rd, 4th level outsource who never had the resources to begin with to do the job. Or was paid a tiny fraction of the contract.

[hobbit709]

3. There are quite a few programs that wipe to NSA standards.

Some of them are even freeware. They will wipe multiple drives at once. Takes about 5 minutes to tell it to start-then you can walk away and forget about it until done. I've run into many lazy/stupid IT people-especially some of those who have their M$ certification, which means they know how to do it the M$ way and nothing else counts.

[harmonicon]

6. 5 minutes - that's the key

5 minutes where someone isn't working is 5 minutes where a corporation doesn't have to pay a worker.

[Trajan]

10. Here is one ...

http://download.cnet.com/Eraser/3000-2092_4-10231814.html

[formercia]

12. Another feature of Eraser

It has a secure delete for individual files. It shows up when you select a file.

Nice program.

[comtec]

4. I think yuo're being too hard on the IT guys

if anything this is a failure of UPPER management to refuse to fund the hours it would take IT to PROPERLY wipe hard drives.

and where the HELL do you pull this 5 minutes number out of?

I have NEVER been able to even full-delete a hard drive in less than 10-30 minutes. and a proper wiping of a drive takes many times that.

To do a CRAP job, you're right, a few minutes, to do it RIGHT, take time.

Time costs money, and that is a upper management decision, and upper management generally has their heads so far up their asses trying to pinch a penny they have NO clue about how to do anything right!

IT has been under funded, and ITers under paid since bush!

[formercia]

5. You make a good point

The bean-counters don't understand the implications of cost-cutting. They farm out the disposal problem to a third party run by more bean-counters.

Another bean-counter decides they can pad their bottom line by selling the used drives on Ebay.

[hobbit709]

7. Read what I said

It takes about 5 minutes to set up the process, you don't have to stare at the screen for 3 hours while it's running, I certainly don't.

[L0oniX]

8. Osama found on hard drives!

[formercia]

9. This is a serious discussion

Take your childish comments elsewhere.

[L0oniX]

13. blog nazi

[formercia]

14. No blog for you.

:hi:

[Badgerman]

11. ...and incompetence was not expected in ALL gov agencies? n/t

[comtec]

15. I gurantee that is government IT guys had gotten these driver this would not be an issue

the problem is that under * everything was farmed out.
Government workers may take their time, but they generally do it right (OK I'm biased my dad retired after his 30 years as a very capable EE. Generally it was management that kept him from doing his job, not him)

When you get the gov. IT guys doing their job, it gets done. you didn't hear about this kind of sloppiness under Clinton (or ray-gun), this is a *co policy thing. it's *co's fault for leasing out the work.

Actually IIRC the old procedure for handling sensitive data containing drives was a blender....I'm not joking. They would utterly destroy the drivers for security reasons. THAT is secure! ;)