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Dear Possible Identity Thief, Please Delete The Data We Accidentally Leaked

from the like-that'll-work dept

Fri, Aug 4th 2006 11:46am — Mike Masnick

About a year ago, we noted that some of Japan's nuclear secrets had been made available on the popular Japanese file sharing system, Winny. The government decided the best way to deal with this wasn't to better secure their systems... but to simply beg people not to use Winny. Apparently, that hasn't worked, because now a bunch of medical records have leaked through the system as well. The hospital in question has responded, again by begging, but this time asking various ISPs to send their customers a letter asking them to delete the info. Perhaps we underestimate people in Japan, but doesn't this only seem likely to call more attention to the data from those who will use it for malicious purposes?

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Xcetron, 4 Aug 2006 @ 11:58am

First post?

Lets hope the same thing doesnt happen over here.
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DCX2, 4 Aug 2006 @ 12:04pm

I read Reuter's Oddly Enough, and I've read some crazy stories about Japanese people doing really silly things, like stealing a bicycle and then reimbursing the owner the full cost of the bike, new.

I wouldn't be surprised if a large percentage of them do delete it.
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- Matthew, 4 Aug 2006 @ 12:09pm
  
  Re:
  
  by DCX2 on Aug 4th, 2006 @ 12:04pm
  I read Reuter's Oddly Enough, and I've read some crazy stories about Japanese people doing really silly things, like stealing a bicycle and then reimbursing the owner the full cost of the bike, new.
  
  I wouldn't be surprised if a large percentage of them do delete it.
  
  By that logic, they wouldn't have downloaded it at all. However, as a fairly cynical American, this plea seems to be wanting to add fuel to fire let loose on the public.
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- Yet another Anonymous Coward (profile), 4 Aug 2006 @ 12:21pm
  
  Re:
  If you stole a bike as your own idea, that would be considered unauthorized by the local mafia. You'd be better off re-imbursing the owner than facing mafia punishment. I'm not sure that the idea applies here.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Aug 2006 @ 12:25pm

I'd say you underestimate the people in Japan...
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- Anonymous Coward, 4 Aug 2006 @ 2:31pm
  
  Re:
  Then again, since when is data on the internet isolatd to one particular country?
  
  Duh.
  
  Helllllooooooooo........the integrity of anything is based on its weakest link.
  
  If its on the net, who gives a flying shit if tha japanese are over or under estimated.
  
  what about the chinese, americans, finns, dutch, english, russians, paki's, indians etc that may have access to winny or knows someone who knows someone.
  
  To stereo type a group or race either negatively or positivly is a mistake either way. For the sole reason that in this instance, you are talking about human individuals.
  
  Period.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Aug 2006 @ 12:32pm

Funny how the government, CEO's, banks, etc... all revere the computer as a wonderful tool that keeps all their data secure...

When in reality nothing could be further from the truth. Well, actually - the computer can be a very secure device - if you have employees who actually care about your company. Not going to find any loyalty 'outsourced'. Who knows what agenda the people working on your network databases actually have. They don't even really work for your company, so don't expect security.

And no... the fat guy in the corner who's the 'head of IT security' is not going to secure it all for you. He's likely too out of touch with the real world because he's always busy making everyone think he's a computer security guru.

I'd say 90% of security problems originate with your outsourced IT staff...
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Aug 2006 @ 12:44pm

what ever they do, its gonna be some damn good quality
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nullvariable, 4 Aug 2006 @ 1:01pm

Streisand effect anyone?
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20030624/1231228.shtml
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Dollface, 4 Aug 2006 @ 1:04pm

Wow!
I don't think that the people that downloaded that are gonna delete it, who knows it could be some terrorist organization *drools* gods I hope so!
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Whatever he said, 4 Aug 2006 @ 1:27pm

Talk about having faith in people! Too bad they won't sleep with their wives, they might actually populate the world with honorable people.
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Scoooooter, 4 Aug 2006 @ 2:18pm

Uh, Huh...
The only secure computer is one with out ANY method of connecting to a network, and that does not use a username and password....or any other known method of authentication. They are all flawed, and if it exists, it is already broken, or soon will be.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Aug 2006 @ 5:12pm

I'd say you underestimate the people in Japan... I'd say you overestimate people.
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Jeff, 5 Aug 2006 @ 4:20pm

You're assuming
...that the information which was "accidentally" leaked was in fact ACCIDENTAL, and that the information that was leaked is actually accurate information.
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Urs Gubser, 6 Aug 2006 @ 9:28am

Praise the Japanese for their common sense approac
It is true - the Japanese are a folk of extremely honest people. You could lose your walet anywhere in Tokyo and someone would return it in a day or two without anything missing.
Instead of critizing their non-existing security, we should instead praise them for their efforts to teach everyone to be a better person. This is something that starts in school an early age and it is also something that is entirely absent of the western so called civilized world.
So, these ideas of asking people to return or delete information that was leaked might seem strange to us westerners who have never known what honestly really means.
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