This is why we don't keep sensitive government information on USB keys in our pockets

Devin Coldewey

Devin Coldewey is a Seattle-based writer and photographer. He has written for the TechCrunch network since 2007. Some posts he’d like you to read: The Dangers of Externalizing Knowledge | Generation i | Surveillant Society | Choose Two | Frame Wars | The User’s Manifesto | Our Great Sin His personal website is coldewey.cc. → Learn More

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008

Really, who puts secure login codes for a government agency website on an unencrypted USB key? This is approaching a CSI level of computardation.

Although it didn’t result in the breach of, say, the UK’s secret UFO files (that would have been a coup), it has potentially exposed the tax, ticket, and financial records of some twelve million UK residents — not to mention the source code behind the site, potentially even more damaging. The passwords and critical info were “hidden using an industry standard technique which is difficult to break,” which I hope is more than ticking the “hidden” box in the file info.

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