Thursday, November 22nd 2007

United Kingdom Loses Digital Records of 25 Million Citizens

In what's very likely to be the worst technology blunder of the century, the United Kingdom appears to have misplaced the records of 25 million citizens. It all started when Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs (HMRC) decided to send two disks containing the birth records, bank accounts, insurance numbers, and all manner of other important personal information of 25 million citizens to the National Audit Office (NAO). The majority of the 25 million citizens whose information was on the two disks were recipients of Child Benefits. HMRC shipped the information out via post on October 8th, and on November 8th the NAO discovered that they did not have the two disks. While the British government spends their time pointing fingers at each other to properly determine who is at fault (you can read a more descriptive version of the drama via the source link), an American convict-turned-FBI Fraud Investigator is working hard on the case, and suspects foul play.

If you live in the United Kingdom and feel that you may have been affected by this fraud, the government has set up a hotline for you to call. The number is 0845 302 1444.
Source: DailyTech
Add your own comment

49 Comments on United Kingdom Loses Digital Records of 25 Million Citizens

#26
InnocentCriminal
Resident Grammar Amender
25 million man, 25 million... I hope not for your sake.
Posted on Reply
#27
Ripper3
InnocentCriminalEnvironmentalist nut-jobs? LOL! I wouldn't go that far, and it's attitude like that pisses me off. I'm slightly contradicting myself when I say I'm an environmentalist, as I have more than one PC full of hazardous materials but I'm extremely energy considerate (don't leave my PC on 24/7) I recycle all my empty glass ale bottles and I try my hardest not to use plastics when they're not needed. If only everyone did these little things, such as recycling we'd save enough money to run these big fuck off expensive computers that we're all so addicted to!

Still, it's hard to imagine a country run entirely by the people, that would just never happen, plus it would most likely cause wars.

I hate people as a collective, we're so fucking stupid!
Heheh, I don't mean people like you, that try to help, without annoying everyone else off, I mean people that take things too far, like letting down tires of SUVs (even though that's a joke on them, it'll need more power to run, therefore, it'll use more fuel, creating mroe CO2! HAH! And as this Sunday's episode of Top Gear showed, there are plenty of regular sized cars that are as fuel-in-efficient or more so, than SUVs, but yet they're not targetted at all). I and my parents, all try, we pay for recycling, so we do it, and even before that, when the government started improving recycyling facilities, we already recycled glass bottles, metals, and paper, where and when we could.
I've been a little more careful with my computer components - my PSU is an iGreen, supposedly RoHS compliant and more efficient because of its Active PFC (nothing new now, but it does help waste less). My motherboard, I'm not too sure about, but I'd say it's RoHS compliant as well, there's no excuse not to be really. I bought this CPU as OEM, so barely any packaging. My motherboard's and GPU's boxes are both bio-degradeable (although I've not thrown them out, I'm reusing them, like basically every other box I have, in-house recycling :D). There's plenty more, but still, I guess leaving my PC on a large portion of the day (hardly ever leave it on 24/7 unless it's doing something useful) doesn't help, although my parents are weighing up the advantages of changing electricity providers, and I've put in my thought on changing to one that's more green.


I do think that, if we overturned the government, it would be all-out anarchy, and eventually, someone would take up power, arbitrarily, by force, or by election. There are the leaders, and there are the sheep. There's also a middle-ground, which is the intellectuals that realise that having one person in power is not beneficial to most of the people, but that don't have the say to really change anything.


I'm glad someone share my opinion. We are stupid as a collective, and I certainly scare a few people, by occasionally just saying out loud "Stupid, puny human scum", whenever I see something dumb going on, or whenever there's a delay, or a strike, etc.
Posted on Reply
#28
Ketxxx
Heedless Psychic
zekrahminatorWhile the British government spends their time pointing fingers at each other to properly determine who is at fault (you can read a more descriptive version of the drama via the source link), an American convict-turned-FBI Fraud Investigator is working hard on the case, and suspects foul play.

If you live in the United Kingdom and feel that you may have been affected by this fraud, the government has set up a hotline for you to call. The number is 0845 302 1444.

Source: DailyTech
Oh please, as messed up as our government is dont even start thinking the US government is perfect, its probably the least perfect government out there. :rolleyes: I just hope my details were among those CDs somewhere :D
Posted on Reply
#29
Fuse-Wire
Ben ClarkeMy family had better not be on that list.
unless someone in your family gets child support then your ok
Posted on Reply
#30
xciter327
Pff, the data wasn`t stolen that way. I was working on a presentation before couple of days. Somebody hacked the database before two weeks or some. The coverment has hired a bunch of corporative loyars to think of a solution.
Posted on Reply
#31
Fuse-Wire
it was 2 dvd's unencrypted done by some Govement n00b. they went "missing" and now they cant be found. If anything i think these documents have been stolen but accessing the data could be potentially fatal since the goverment has now got tracers on all the records awaiting unauthorised entry. Whoever tries anything is going to get a sore one!
Posted on Reply
#32
[I.R.A]_FBi
tnt sucks, they dont know how to do business. if the case is similar to what happened to my g/f its in a warehouse somewhere sitting down.
Posted on Reply
#33
lemonadesoda
WTF! Fingerprinting schoolchildren.

WTF! Losing 25million records.

Gordon Brown needs to fall on sword.

Rest of cabinet needs to walk the plank.
Posted on Reply
#34
InnocentCriminal
Resident Grammar Amender
[I.R.A]_FBitnt sucks, they dont know how to do business. if the case is similar to what happened to my g/f its in a warehouse somewhere sitting down.
You TNT'd your GF and they lost her in a warehouse? You cruel, but unfortunate bastard! :p
Posted on Reply
#35
[I.R.A]_FBi
InnocentCriminalYou TNT'd your GF and they lost her in a warehouse? You cruel, but unfortunate bastard! :p


she forgave me though, she's on her way over with toasted subs
Posted on Reply
#36
Davidelmo
God I hate this government

I really don't like how the UK is becoming a socialist country.. the government is pretty much robin hood

Why do the government feel the need to involve themselves in EVERYTHING? Especially when they keep making a massive tits up of everything! Just leave people alone, leave businesses alone etc and most problems will sort themselves out
Posted on Reply
#37
InnocentCriminal
Resident Grammar Amender
[I.R.A]_FBi

she forgave me though, she's on her way over with toasted subs
She must love you dearly.... hmmm toasted!
Davidelmo...the government is pretty much robin hood.
Care to elaborate on that one Dave...
Posted on Reply
#38
Davidelmo
InnocentCriminalShe must love you dearly.... hmmm toasted!



Care to elaborate on that one Dave...
lol, sure.. Robin Hood - taking from the rich to give to the poor

Except, the "rich" aren't really "rich"

Well, earn over £35k a year and the government will take 40% of anything over that amount
Not to mention national insurance costs about another £1500 a year

IMO 35k isn't a huge salary and it certainly does not make you rich. Yet for some reason, someone earning 40k is in the same tax bracket as a footballer making 2-3m per year, or an investor making 20m per year!

You seem to be punished for doing well in this country. Earn more, and you lose a LOT more in tax. It's not just the income tax either. With your bigger salary you will want:
A bigger house - so you pay more stamp duty, more council tax
A better car - so pay more road tax
Plus 17.5% of VAT on top of everything you buy

However if you drop out of school at 16, get pregnant (or get a girl pregnant) you can have everything given to you on a plate!
Posted on Reply
#39
InnocentCriminal
Resident Grammar Amender
Well explained, nice one!

Bloody teenagers, when will they learn ay?
Posted on Reply
#40
Davidelmo
lol, well I know what I just wrote sounds really snobby but it really isn't.

The point is that people who are very hard working deserve to be rewarded more than those who are not. Trying to make everyone in society equal is futile and stupid.

Besides, it actually hurts people at the bottom end of society anyway by giving them less incentive to work. Think about it - when you donate to a charity in Africa they say "don't give this man a fish - give him a fishing rod." Well why do we seem to have an endless supply of fish here? lol

There is no reason you can not succeed in the UK if you are willing to put the effort in. There are so many free college courses and qualifications on offer, and lots of places will take you on and train you in a profession if you take some initiative.

I'm not rich or a snob - it just drives me mad that I work so hard and yet others do not, but have things given to them instead!
Posted on Reply
#41
Jess Stingray
UK government sucks... they give us 70p tax on petrol, so we end up paying over a quid for them, and they also got rid o fvending machines in schools, even the ones that served fruit, because they wanted us to eat healhty. WTF?
Posted on Reply
#42
niko084
Everyone is screwed.... We are born, we live, we get stressed, we die.... End of game..

Anyways, man that would suck to have to get all that back together...
What a mess.... Hopefully things get solved quickly, smoothly and correctly.
Posted on Reply
#43
Davidelmo
Ben ClarkeUK government sucks... they give us 70p tax on petrol, so we end up paying over a quid for them, and they also got rid o fvending machines in schools, even the ones that served fruit, because they wanted us to eat healhty. WTF?
Werd.

I'm moving to HK in a few years. Top in the world for economic freedom. Your money is your own to spend as you want. Take responsibility for your own actions.

If you want to blow all your money on hookers, drugs and gambling that's fine, but no-one else will help you out of your mess.
Posted on Reply
#44
InnocentCriminal
Resident Grammar Amender
Davidelmolol, well I know what I just wrote sounds really snobby but it really isn't.

I'm not rich or a snob - it just drives me mad that I work so hard and yet others do not, but have things given to them instead!
I didn't think it was snobby, if anything I agree with you whole-heartedly, damn fuckin' lay-abouts not bothering to actually look for a job when their more than capable. It's these selfish dicks that annoy me would you believe. :P
Ben ClarkeUK government sucks... they give us 70p tax on petrol, so we end up paying over a quid for them, and they also got rid o fvending machines in schools, even the ones that served fruit, because they wanted us to eat healhty. WTF?
LOL! If children have more respect (and ate fresh fruit) then they wouldn't take these vending machines (that were probably vandalised) away.

It's been reported that another 6 discs are also 'missing'. Why is it that I find things that aren't funny, funny?
niko084Everyone is screwed.... We are born, we live, we get stressed, we die.... End of game..
You make it sound so easy.
Posted on Reply
#45
Davidelmo
True, but the point is that why should the government have the right to take away vending machines from a school??
Posted on Reply
#46
Cold Storm
Battosai
6 more! Man, who's looking after these things!?! I told you that we should have those Cd's put in a brief case, locked tight with 3 guards around them at all times! I can't wait for them to find out who did this! That way we can all learn from the guy(s)/girl(s)!!!! :respect:
P.s. J/k for the last line..
Posted on Reply
#47
wazzledoozle
DavidelmoTrue, but the point is that why should the government have the right to take away vending machines from a school??
They did that in washington state's schools too.

We now have no more snack machines, and the drink machines are full of bottled watter/flavored sugar-free water.
Posted on Reply
#48
Davidelmo
wazzledoozleThey did that in washington state's schools too.

We now have no more snack machines, and the drink machines are full of bottled watter/flavored sugar-free water.
it's just horrible

Yes it may be for the better, but why shouldn't the school make this decision?

Or even better - why not the parents who send their kids to the school? If you are trying to make your kids eat healthy and they keep buying crap at school, get enough parents together and ask them to remove the vending machine. That's how it SHOULD work!
Posted on Reply
#49
theonetruewill
Suckers- we still have vending machines:rockout: They're nearly always emptied every day by ravenous students.
Posted on Reply
Add your own comment
Apr 26th, 2024 23:39 EDT change timezone

New Forum Posts

Popular Reviews

Controversial News Posts