Britain’s Major Data Security Crisis

This was waiting to happen in any part of the world…The British Government is now reeling under a major data security crisis. Two discs containing the details of all child benefit recipients, records for 25 million individuals and 7.25 million families have been lost.

“The records included the recipient’s name and those of their children, their addresses and dates of birth, child benefit numbers, national insurance numbers and, where relevant, bank or building society account details – all the facts that fraudsters need to illegally remove money from banks”, reports The Independent.

“They are the details that families are regularly being warned by the Government not to reveal to potential fraudsters. And they would be worth a fortune on the black market.

“Seven million families are having to make urgent checks on their bank accounts today after the biggest security blunder in history led to the personal details of 25 million fathers, mothers and children being lost by the Whitehall department responsible for all tax and benefits.”

The Times has this story…