GCHQ cannot say how many sensitive storage drives remain missing
Original title: British intelligence agency misplaced 'thousands' of storage devices, years later still can't say how many
IPCO says the agency still lacks a clear count of lost media that may hold Investigatory Powers Act data, years after officials were told.
The Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office says GCHQ has known for years that a very large number of removable drives may be missing and may contain IPA-related data, but it still cannot state the exact scale, location, or recoverability. GCHQ says its old tracking system was inadequate and that it is adding automated asset tracking by year-end. The same report also flags weak controls on one overseas partner’s access to journalistic material, a web-app bug that led to five Terrorism Act port stops, and MI5’s handling of informant Agent X.
Unconfirmed: GCHQ has not established how many drives are lost, where they are, or whether they can be recovered.
- A web-app bug caused five Terrorism Act port stops and serious prejudice.
- IPCO found inadequate controls for one partner’s access to journalistic material.
- GCHQ plans automated asset tracking before the end of the year.
- Lord Leveson called MI5’s Agent X case as serious as any he has handled.
Impact: Possible loss of sensitive IPA-related data on missing drives
- Organizations
- GCHQInvestigatory Powers Commissioner’s OfficeMI5
- Countries
- United Kingdom
From the original article
4 min read at theregister.comOther agency errors included an unchecked software bug that led to Terrorism Act detentions
By Connor Jones · theregister.com
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