Destinys Soldier wrote:

For some reason I can't even log on to Politics.ie homepage.

Would there be a logical reason for that? An IP address not wanted maybe?

The homepage doesn't load is it? i've it open on the other side so it's accessible for me anyhow.

They want you, Destinys soldier, they want you....

Thought I'd recycle this thread.

ENN reports today:
The Data Protection Commissioner is investigating Bank of Ireland after learning that four of the bank's laptops, with details of 10,000 customers, were stolen last year.

The computers belonged to Bank of Ireland (BOI) Life and were stolen from staff members between June and October last year. BOI reported the theft to the Data Protection Commissioner and the financial regulator last Friday.

"The investigation will focus on the justification for the personal data, including sensitive medical data in some cases, being placed on the laptops in the first place, the security arrangements in place and the exact circumstances which led to the delay in the reporting of this matter internally within the Bank of Ireland to the appropriate personnel for the taking of further action," the Data Protection Commissioner's Office said in a statement.

The information on the four BOI laptops contained the names, addresses, financial details and some medial records of its life assurance customers. BOI was criticised for the apparent delay in reporting the laptop thefts, and for using passwords instead of encryption techniques to protect the stored information.

Is the IT model the wrong one for the likes of institutions like this? Often they use a centralised system for dealing with their data but here it seems they had the details of 10,000 customers on an Access database or an Excel spreadsheet outside the centralised mini or mainframe on their laptops. Data held like this would be prone to human error and this isn't the first case of such low tech hacking either recently. In a dumb terminal arrangement this mightn't have happened. To get hit once is something but four times ... (and they call the poor terminals dumb )

What is really annoying about this is that when they check you for life insurance they make you sign an authority for them to ask your doctors anything they want, and they then tell your doctor that he is not allowed to tell you what they asked or what information they were furnished. Will they tell you now that they have left it floating around on laptops?

The level of ignorance in matters IT in the business world in general is staggering. It would be interesting to know what are the added transaction costs as a result of not having coherent and effective IT security measures in place across the board in Irish businesses. It would also be interesting to know the corollary, what transaction costs are involved if everyone complies!

Am I the only horrified by this? Surely not.

The data is not encrypted - though the bank received advice (duh) that it should be. HORROR! It's a bank.

A representative - didn't get the name or rank - was on radio earlier saying that the laptops were protected by a password, that there was no evidence that anyone had used the information and that any bank customer who lost money would be reimbursed. FURTHER HORROR!

If I was a customer of BoI I'd be moving my money immediately - not because any of the other banks are any better but because BoI have been demonstrably negligent, imho.

I was one of the people who got a letter from the blood bank - admittedly after I'd heard about it on the radio but I wasn't worried because they had obviously put excellent security measures in place. In fact, when I got the letter I rang them to say that I was impressed by the letter, they were doing and had done the best they could and to keep up the good work.

BoI deserve a major slap on the wrist for this.

It is hard to think of any justification for sensitive medical data to be on a bank employee's laptop in the first place. It appears it was happening across the board as four have been stolen. This suggests to me that every BoI branch is involved in this dodgy practice.

What on earth is the explanation for this.

Excuse me while I go and ask future brother-in-law, if I can tear him away from his beer and dessert.

Let us know what you cvan get out of him (Jack Bauer - series 6 style) - I am intrigued

Anyone who works outside a branch - for example selling a product called lifeloan (where older people can borrow against the equity they have built up in their home) will have a laptop so any dealings you do with someone who works outside a branch will be on that employee's laptop.

General information is held on all customers at branch level, but all of those salespeople who travel for the bank are at risk here. But not quite as much as those whose information is on said laptops.

He says all banks are in the same position.

If there are any other questions, he's feeling very mellow and chatty.

Kate P wrote:

If there are any other questions, he's feeling very mellow and chatty.

Will you ask him if banks evolved their systems to avoid costs ?

You mean, are they logistical cheapskates? As opposed to what?

Kate P - that doesn't explain why sensitive medical data would be stored on the lap-top if you ask me. they could give a quote subject to medical. The salesman should not have access to the medical detials or report as he is not qualified or able to analyse same.

Kate P toddles once more into the madness of the confirmation party...

Phew.

The reason he says that the information is there is because life products require a lot of form filling which is done with the customer - and then used to formulate the quote. Which is more or less to be expected. What's unexpected, I suppose, is that the information isn't shifted on to somewhere else.

He also drew the comparison between the relative security of ATM and other cards in the past before skimming was invented. There was a time when there was no market for stolen laptops and they just weren't stolen.

He couldn't say, Audi what the basis for the decision was except that having increased security costs would make their products more expensive than those of other companies. There are actually quite a lot of bankers here today - one from Ulster Bank and one from AIB and there's little variation between them as far as I can see.

Kate P wrote:

Phew.

The reason he says that the information is there is because life products require a lot of form filling which is done with the customer - and then used to formulate the quote. Which is more or less to be expected. What's unexpected, I suppose, is that the information isn't shifted on to somewhere else.

€€€€€€€ by any chance? Buy cheap buy twice I hope.

Quote :

He also drew the comparison between the relative security of ATM and other cards in the past before skimming was invented. There was a time when there was no market for stolen laptops and they just weren't stolen.

Laptops cost €500 from Dell ...

Quote :

He couldn't say, Audi what the basis for the decision was except that having increased security costs would make their products more expensive than those of other companies. There are actually quite a lot of bankers here today - one from Ulster Bank and one from AIB and there's little variation between them as far as I can see.

Brings great questions into my cranium about pricing, the wider economy, professional labour costs, passing the buck to the customer and obligation by companies to provide a decent service under the LAW.

One day I will tie all these things together and it will be worse than Marxism.

It got me thinking about cartels, funny enough. Do they get together over a few Glenfiddichs and let each other know what they do and do not spend their dosh on?

Quote :

Laptops cost €500 from Dell ...

Not the point, as we all know.

I regularly, if reluctantly leave mine in the boot of my car and would die if it was stolen. The machine, as we know is only an enabler, physically replaceable.

Good interrogating Kate P - you can take the knife out of his knee-cap now.