HMRC loses 15m peoples bank details.

KNiVES said:
- if you are of a family that recieves child benefits or close enough to that, I'd start worrying. I hate to scaremonger, but the discs contain bank details, addresses, insurance numbers, names, the lot.
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Yep, I have kids and recieve working famlies tax-credits and some child benefit.

Scary stuff :(
 
Well, look at the bright side. This has killed those ID cards stone cold dead.

If the government manages to be so tragically lax with our data, then who on earth will trust them with biometric and other data in an ID card database.
 
Lopéz said:
The articles don't mention if it's TNT Post (non trackable internal mail) or TNT Express (trackable consignments)
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It says it was sent via unrecorded mail, so the former. It should have been sent via recorded mail.

Makes me laugh that people think that private companies are any better at this stuff. At least when a government dept screws up you get to hear about it.
 
PlatinumFX said:
I read every ones post carefully. In future though, I will be extra careful in my own proof-reading to ensure I don't say something that could be misinterpreted! Much like the average politician does these days.
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I don't read everyone's posts carefully in GD. It's because nearly everyone (myself included) posts absolute garbage that isn't worth reading. My point is just that the CD is probably lost, like many things in the post (internal or RM). What's to say it's going to land in "someone bad" 's hands? It's most likely on the ground somewhere and has been stamped on and broken by now.

A few points:

1) Absolutely shocking that basically the whole country's data is on a disc somwhere.

2) Double shocking that this disc is not encrypted.

3) Triple shocking that non-encrypted banking data is being sent around as it was.

4) This is HUGE! I've just read on MSN Money that it includes EVERYONE who has children and very sensitive data about them. That is such a monumentally large number of details that if anyone did get them they could cause so much damage. An almost infinite source of guaranteed correct information. Even after that it will get sent to their criminal friends and even more damage will ensue.

5) Can't be blaming this on the government, including the Chancellor. What could he have done? I feel bad for the head of HMRC who had to resign - although I guess he gets the salary he does for the responsibilites he holds.

6) I hope it doesn't affect me. :eek: :(

7) Should point out again that it is most likely just a lost DVD and that its not actually being used. (fullstop).
 
If joe public foundthe discs out of curiousity they would have a look and then find its passworded and probably just throw it in the bin

Now its been plastered all over the news (yeah great idea) whoever finds the disc will know whats on it and can then flog it on

Worst thing they did was publicising it all over the media imo
 
markyp23 said:
5) Can't be blaming this on the government, including the Chancellor. What could he have done? I feel bad for the head of HMRC who had to resign - although I guess he gets the salary he does for the responsibilites he holds.
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This always gets me. Why does the guy get to resign. I would reject his resignation and force him to face the music followed by getting a very public sacking. It just seems a bit of a chickens way out to me.

I would certainly block him from working in the civil service at any point in future.
 
scorza said:
The £24bn loan given to NR is guaranteed against part of NR's mortgage book, which is said to be very strong. They were discussing NR on the Jeremy Vine show yesterday, this Professor of Economics was saying it's virtually impossible for the taxpayer to lose out on that loan.
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was that the same professor that was on newsnight a couple of week ago defending NR? the same professor who has quite a lot of NR shares???? hmmm, no conflict of interest there....

if the loan book really was as strong as they say then they would have no trouble selling the company and yet no one is interested. If the loan book was strong then why would the markets not loan them any credit - the cause of this mess in the first place (although paragon, B&B and A&L are pretty much screwed as well.)

NR is a joke and should have been allowed to go broke just like any other badly run business - i doubt we will see much of that money any time soon.
 
At he end of the day, someone has to be held accountable for this, and systems need to be put in place for it to never happen again.

How did such a minor civil servant have access to every piece of data held on every Child benefit family, why were they able to save that data to a remote device, and why were they not trained on its importance (as in confidential information) and how to transport it.

Why should some numb-skull like this have my bank details.... and if they were stupid enough to do that, what else have they been doing with my family personal details.

Someone must have shown them how to access it, given them the rights to it, and should have shown them how dangerous this data could be in the wrong hands. Why were they in such a position if they didn't have enough brains for such responsibilty.


There are so many criminal gangs and even non-criminal gangs (as in mailing companies) who could use this data - and once one copy is made there is no doubt it will be sent around the globe and re-copied / mailed.... probably as far as russia and china. Its almost half the bloomin population of this country.

Most of half-wits I have worked with would make a copy of those CDs just for a laugh, and would be showing everyone them, just commenting on peoples names and DOB or childrens names (just because its the main Item on the news, and they could say they have an actual copy of the CDs themselves and they could show off )


This is a massive, massive issue - which I'm sure this gov will now need to correct. No doubt they will make up some rubbish about the CDs being located in a few days and all is well (which of course will be a load of rubbish)
 
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'Have gone missing'

are you kidding me, have gone missing, thats meant to be government protected info.. and from the HRMC.. the very organisation you feel should keep our details safe.

Idiots, cowboys springs to mind, what kind of people do they employ?

Good luck to be honest... jokers.
 
DreXel the CD's were password protected, but from what I know, no encryption.

for the moment, I defiantely would NOT worry. There has been nothing to suggest that the cd's have falled into the wrong hands, and certainly still nothing to suggest that.

The information which is kept inside the Washing systems (up Newcastle way, not America) contains your NI, Family's dates of births, Nation Insurance numbers, address, bank details (account name, number e.t.c).

From that, there is plenty of ways to get a profit if it did fall into the wrong hands, but it's pretty much certain as of now, that the disc has just been loss.

yes it is a monumental **** up of all preportions, [edited out last line]
 
The one thing which really worries me is:
The data was sent on 18 October and senior management at HMRC were told it was missing on 8 November and the chancellor on 10 November.
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It took them THREE WEEKS to work out the data was gone? Is this important data or not?
 
Maybe they thought it was stuck in the Royal Mail strike action backlog and would suddenly appear.
 
aardvark said:
was that the same professor that was on newsnight a couple of week ago defending NR? the same professor who has quite a lot of NR shares???? hmmm, no conflict of interest there....

if the loan book really was as strong as they say then they would have no trouble selling the company and yet no one is interested. If the loan book was strong then why would the markets not loan them any credit - the cause of this mess in the first place (although paragon, B&B and A&L are pretty much screwed as well.)

NR is a joke and should have been allowed to go broke just like any other badly run business - i doubt we will see much of that money any time soon.
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Have no fear Cerberus are here with a bid.

The only problem is with their bid is that they have only offered to pay back £15bn of the £25.3bn NR ave so far borrowed. So I suspect us tax payers will foot the bill for the other £10bn or so.
 
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