Where To Go For Biggest Data Leaks? Our Own Government

from the wonderful dept

Tue, Jun 20th 2006 7:22pm — Mike Masnick

zanek writes "Published data reveals that, when identity thieves want Social Security numbers, they head for the fountainhead: Government. No other entity is as efficient at losing SSNs. The preferred method of acquisition? Unattended laptops. When that fails, crooks fall back to tapes, printouts, web postings, inside theft and other tricks wholly dependent on bureaucratic incompetence. After all, cracking networks from the outside can be tricky." And, yet, the government now wants more and more data, claiming that we should "trust" them to protect it...

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7 Comments

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qreepii, 20 Jun 2006 @ 8:09pm

Trust
Man I got that letter from the DOD telling me my information was stolen. If I ever find that prick who allowed that opening I will personally remove his spleen with a plastic coat hanger.....

--PISSED The F*%$ OFF!
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John Fox, 20 Jun 2006 @ 9:41pm

Many options
There are many solutions to these problems, they just dont know where to look.

http://www.infoworld.com/article/05/06/20/25PPpreview_1.html
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jeff, 20 Jun 2006 @ 9:57pm

gimme a 2 billion dollar contract
i'll fix the fuckin' problem

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=padlock
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Ari Schwartz, 20 Jun 2006 @ 11:50pm

And this is news how?
The United states government has never been good at keeping secrets.

During the Clinton era the NSA were tracking Osama Bin Laden via his satilite phone. Then Clinton ordered a cruise missile strike on his camp. Guess what that did? Absolutely nothing! Only then we lost the means of tracking a known terrorist.

Now we have an attourney general who can't get his history streight.

"President Washington, Presedent Lincoln, President Roosevelt have all authorised ELECTRONIC survielence on a far greater scale." This is an ACTUAL quote from Alberto Gonzales before the senate about his survelience plans, only the emphisis is mine. Before we work on stoping data from leaking out, we must work on what data comes IN!
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?, 21 Jun 2006 @ 12:21am

Why
But yet, we keep asking for more from our government! People are asking for more money from them, more programs to help the needy, more medical coverage. If they can't do something as simple as protect a bunch of numbers from those who want them - why do we think they can manage our health, or take care of those in need?
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Raiden Gauld, 21 Jun 2006 @ 11:41am

Wake-up Call
Okay everyone... I'm gonna unveil a disgusting truth to you.

THE GOVERNMENT LIES TO YOU!

Now you're probably thinking "Oh no sh** Sherlock!" and "Duhhh, no...really?!" But that's garbage. How many people suddenly become "surprised" when the government breaks their word. Politicians are just well versed normal people (only they f*** up their words more often than not, thus the electronic comment).

Personally, if I can't trust the government in one way, I wouldn't in the other...
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?, 21 Jun 2006 @ 7:53pm

Re: Wake-up Call
Nooooo It can't be true!
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