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Census Bureau loses computers and your dataData security and government agencies
just don't seem to work together
I've got one from last week, it got misfiled. It
seems the U.S. Census lost
computers.
The Census Bureau collects the most personal information about Americans, from how much money they earn and where they spend it to how they live and die. It's all confidential - as long as no one steals it. Lost or stolen from the Census Bureau since 2003 are 217 laptop computers, 46 portable data storage devices and 15 handheld devices used by survey takers. Although the number of people affected isn't known, the Commerce Department reports that passwords, encryptions and other safeguards were in place. Nothing so far indicates a misuse of any information. Just so you know, you don't have to tell the Census taker all that much. You have to tell how many people are living in the house, apartment, or whatever, and you have to tell them names. But you don't have to tell them how much you earn anymore than you have to say what color of underwear you put on this morning. But getting back to the general point, government can't keep your data secure. There are "safeguards," so what? Diebold voting machines have "safeguards." Windows XP has "safeguards." Your cellphone has "safeguards." This first rule of data security is control physical access. It's a lot easier to crack any software security if someone can mess with the computer. 
Posted: Tue - October 3, 2006 at 04:38 PM
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 Pagan Vigil
Pagan philosopher, libertarian, and part-time trouble maker, NeoWayland watches for threats to individual freedom or personal responsiblity. There's more to life than just black and white, using only extremes just increases the problems.  My Thinking Blogger Nominees
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