Head of HMRC Resigns ahead of commons statement today Re details of 15 MILLION child benefit claims on lost disc

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

bbc news

well, I meant protection not by the card itself, but by the fact that my ID is currently stored in a system that's independent of the UK one.

Ah, well... yes .. you have a point there...

and now is when I hear the news taht the spanish police has misplaced a few disks too...

Thing is, this is the second time they've merrily downloaded the entire database onto a CD and stuck it in the post.

And the National Audit Office didn't even want all that information anyway! They have said they wanted limited amounts of info - NOT bank account details - and if they had wanted more, they would have gone to the HMRC offices themselves to see it on that system.

Something very wrong with an organisation that allows junior staff to copy entire databases onto CD. They should have systems that make that impossible.

well quite Edam. Have they not HEARD of the DPA or fking common sense. It really is unbelievable (well not really I suppose, I see some shocking things in business) that this can happen.

Just think what fun someone could have with all the medical info that's due to be uploaded soon.

It beggars belief.

Fascinating that I have more encryption and security measures on my home wireless network than were applied to this data.

I reckon I should hire myself out as a consultant.

"What should we do to protect our data, Krang?"

"Get computer bloke round to encrypt it, Mr Taxman! That'll be £25,000, please."

I'm going to call myself Common Sense Consulting.

Hi Peachy,

The name is just my favourite word. Although we do manage along to Notting Hill most years. I wish we did go to carnivals in Somerset - sounds fab!

As a protective measure, I'm changing our bank account today. Not because we've got a huge amount, we haven't, but because we need every penny we've got. Plus, one of the banks is giving us £100 to swap over. It'll be a pain in the butt, but it'll save me months of paranoia about the listed account. Am I taking it too far?

I heard on the radio this morning that credit can be obtained more easily with this information and that Experian (one of the credit reference agencies) are suggesting you check your credit reference more often. Surely they would!
a) they charge you for the credit report, don't they?, but,
b) each time you check it shows as a negative in your credit rating?

Perhaps one useful thing the government could do right now is to remove charges from accessing your own credit data, and ensure you're not penalised for doing so.

a) Equifax do charge you each time (couple of quid) but Experian have a 30 day free trial - the kind where you give them your credit card details and you have to cancel before you get charged. I did this about 27 days ago and desparately need to cancel but they seem a little busy (doh)
b) Haven't checked the small print with Equifax, but Experian DO NOT count you checking your own record as an 'proper' query against your credit rating, ie it does not affect your credit standing.

It turned out to be worth doing for me - I had an alternative me (one twelve years older, grr) and spurious address associated with my credit record, both the result of someone getting a mobile phone using my ID at the end of last year. Both are now OFF my record!

If you get the credit reference agencies to do a check by post, ie post you the details, they can only charge a maximum of, IIRC, £3 or something.