The Conservative Cave
Current Events => Breaking News => Topic started by: Thor on January 27, 2009, 01:00:51 PM
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(http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/TECH/01/27/confidential.mp3.player/art.mp3.gi.jpg)
(CNN) -- A man walks into a thrift store.
A New Zealand man finds confidential U.S. military files on a used MP3 player he bought at a thrift store for $9.
A New Zealand man finds confidential U.S. military files on a used MP3 player he bought at a thrift store for $9.
It sounds like the opening line to a bad joke. And this case was a bad joke -- for the Pentagon.
Chris Ogle of New Zealand was in Oklahoma about a year ago when he bought a used MP3 player from a thrift store for $9. A few weeks ago, he plugged it into his computer to download a song, and he instead discovered confidential U.S. military files.
"The more I look at it, the more I see, and the less I think I should be," Ogle said with a nervous laugh in an interview with TVNZ.
The files included the home addresses, Social Security numbers and cell phone numbers of U.S. soldiers. The player also included what appeared to be mission briefings and lists of equipment deployed to hot spots in Afghanistan and Iraq. Most of the information appears to date to 2005.
The New Zealand journalist who first reported the story was able to contact at least one of the soldiers by dialing a phone number found in the files. He hung up once she explained why she was calling. Video Watch how man discovered secret military files »
Pentagon officials told CNN that they are aware of the MP3 player, but can't talk about it until investigators confirm that the information came from the U.S. Department of Defense.
"The government isn't doing a good job of protecting the information that it collects," said Marc Rotenberg of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington.
More (http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/01/27/confidential.mp3.player/index.html)
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I rest my case.
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Someone's ass is really going to be in a crack when the counterintelligence geeks get their hands on that thing.
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"The government isn't doing a good job of protecting the information that it collects," said Marc Rotenberg of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington.
I'm sure the US government doesn't store information on MP3 players. Some soldier didn't do a good job of protecting the information in his possession. Good security depends on people following established procedures. Information is useless if it is not accessible to the people who need it, but you can't prevent someone from screwing up. I don't see how this is the US govt's fault.
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I'm sure the US government doesn't store information on MP3 players. Some soldier didn't do a good job of protecting the information in his possession. Good security depends on people following established procedures. Information is useless if it is not accessible to the people who need it, but you can't prevent someone from screwing up. I don't see how this is the US govt's fault.
I can picture the scenario where someone says "oh look, I can use this as an external drive!" and pops some files over to save, transfer to another computer or something, then either forgets they are there and gives the MP3 player away (or passes away and the family does the same).
I just gave my old MP3 player away and didn't even check the music files on it -- but even back then I was using SD cards anyway (which I always keep forever).
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I heard about this on the radio this morning. This is going to be interesting to see how this shakes out.
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In For May Shun
In Formation
Information
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DAMMIT :banghead:
I'm never going to be able to use a flash drive again. I've gone from a flash drive to burning 20-50 CD's a week :banghead:
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DAMMIT :banghead:
I'm never going to be able to use a flash drive again. I've gone from a flash drive to burning 20-50 CD's a week :banghead:
What about portable USB hard drives?
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What about portable USB hard drives?
yes -- I have several -- 2 I travel with: 1 with movie rips, the other my external backup (encrypted). At home we keep a firewire 1 TB drive for movie and music rips and keep an external 500 gB drive for backups that we keep in a fireproof safe.
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And this is why we have cyber-security, boys and girls!
I can't wait until some idiot intern in the Zerobama WH either bitches about or goes home with a shitload of classified data on a flash drive or other unsecure device. It's a matter of time. Not if, WHEN.
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I'm pretty sure there was an article about a month ago (perhaps longer) about how the Govt has put a stop to USB drives/ removable hardware/ memory/ peripherals.
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I'm pretty sure there was an article about a month ago (perhaps longer) about how the Govt has put a stop to USB drives/ removable hardware/ memory/ peripherals.
it was longer... and does it ever suck to not be able to use the thumb drive.
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What about portable USB hard drives?
You ain't plugging anything into a DoD assest anymore
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I'm pretty sure there was an article about a month ago (perhaps longer) about how the Govt has put a stop to USB drives/ removable hardware/ memory/ peripherals.
We can use them again where I am, as long as they are (1) gov't issued, and (2) the IT guys have screened and cleared them.
Chances are the player was stolen from the guy or gal who put the files on it, and when it came up missing he or she decided to clam up and hope for the best.
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You ain't plugging anything into a DoD assest anymore
It would make more sense to use a reusable drive than to be burning stuff to multiple CDs and risk data loss that way.
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It would make more sense to use a reusable drive than to be burning stuff to multiple CDs and risk data loss that way.
it's government work, it doesn't have to make sense