Govt Computers Stolen And Data Lost

[george]

Govt computers stolen and data lost

BANGKOK: -- The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security has lost its database when intruders stole several computers and hard discs over the weekend.

The stolen hard discs contained important data on the elderly, underprivileged children and disabled persons, Social Development and Human Security Minister Sora-at Klinpratoom told local journalists here on Monday.

This is the third theft of equipment from the ministry’s offices in the Sun Tower Building on Bangkok's Vibhavadi Rangsit Road.

The building's owner has refused to take any responsibility for these incidents, according to Mr. Sora-at.

The ministry pays four million baht a month for the ten floors it rents for its offices.

The lack of security has forced the ministry to consider moving when the contract expires in October, he said.

The owner refused to increase the building’s security system after the first intrusion.

But the ministry has beefed up the security and employed its own guards.

However, the new system failed to prevent a the third break-in when robbers climbed up to the 24th floor, the Office of Welfare Promotion, Protection and Empowerment of Vulnerable Groups, and took 30 items of computers and hard discs out through the ceiling.

--TNA 2005-02-15

[chingy_]

(robbers climbed up to the 24th floor)

that pretty high isn't, how do they manage to get 30comp down from there, a comp is not light you know.

[RDN]

...the ministry has beefed up the security and employed its own guards....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hired from Group 4, Thailand?

[Oleg_Rus]

why its always poor and disabled ppl who suffer ? why canot steal hard disks with wealthy folks instead -there's more data in

[RDN]

I just realised that I saw this on Thai TV news last night - but it looked like they just opened up the PCs and took the disks and memory, maybe processors too. This was just plain theft of parts to sell - nothing to do with poor people/rich people or the data on the disks (unless it was cleverly disguised.... conspiracy theorists can start posting now...)

[stumonster]

you don't need to be a conspiracy theorist to believe in identity theft.

how many passports , identity cards , credit cards and bank loans would the people in possesion of this data be able to create.

This sort of data theft is becomming increasingly common throughout the world as people start to realize how valauble it is. If your business maintains a database of information about customers/employees......encrypt it.

[chingy_]

yeah! i think its the infomation they are after, not the hardware, most government office computer are really old(classic),

still wondering about the 24th floor, that damnn high, they use a rope or something.

[Diggerbasher]

The Government computer equipment is probably so old that any theft would have to be for information as there is very little value in old computers,accept maybe melting them down for a small amount of precious metals.

[Jai Dee]

still wondering about the 24th floor, that damnn high, they use a rope or something.

I know that building... they probably used the stairwell/fire escape... no alarms on the doors.

[Diggerbasher]

Was there not recently a report of villagers being poisoned by melting down computers to extract the gold within?

[mouse]

The ministry pays four million baht a month for the ten floors it rents for its offices.

I think it is time they do some simple arithmetic and build their own premises rather than rent and throw money into a black hole. The land I am sure the government can produce and if they put away a few years rent then their building is paid for.

As for the dtata that was stolen...... Did they ever hear of making a backup for emergencies or for security and removing the backup from the presmises? If the wish I will supply such a service to them for a small fee.

Sometiems I am baffled by the idiots that we and others allow to serve us from within a government. This is not just a Thailand problem.