[ISN] Foreign Office security breach

From: InfoSec News (isnat_private)
Date: Tue Dec 24 2002 - 02:37:19 PST

  • Next message: InfoSec News: "[ISN] Many Tools of Big Brother Are Up and Running"

    http://www.itv.com/news/Britain348073.html
    
    [Examples of leaks are at: http://cryptome.org/fco-intel.htm  - WK] 
    
    December 22, 2002
    
    Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is facing demands to explain a series of 
    reported security breaches in the Foreign Office computer system used 
    to handle secret intelligence material.
    
    A Sunday newspaper has reported the high security Aramis system had to 
    be shut down for three days towards the end of last year after 
    hundreds of top secret documents went astray.
    
    The material was said to highly classified information with codewords 
    used by the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6.
    
    The paper said that it had been contacted by a whistleblower who 
    claimed the system was still so distrusted, intelligence officers were 
    downgrading the security status of classified documents so they could 
    read them on their PCs.
    
    It has meant that highly secret material was being used on relatively 
    insecure systems which could easily be penetrated by hackers.
    
    The Foreign Office refused to comment directly on the reports but made 
    no attempt to deny the central thrust of the story.
    
    "We take any breach of security very seriously. Our security 
    arrangements are under constant review," a spokesman said.
    
    Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell tonight 
    described the system as a "shambles" and demanded to know when 
    ministers became aware of the the problem.
    
    He said that the disclosures raised questions over whether the 
    problems with the computer had been responsible for the lack clear 
    travel before the Bali and Kenya bomb attacks.
    
    "It beggars belief that the Foreign Office should be relying on a 
    computer system which is less effective than paper," he said.
    
    "In the campaign against terrorism developed countries should have an 
    overwhelming comparative advantage in IT. But the systems have to 
    work.
    
    "Inadequate technical support will not only make it more difficult to 
    do an exacting job but is bound to have a detrimental effect on 
    individual morale.
    
    "This must inevitably raise questions about ministerial 
    responsibility. What do ministers know about these matters and when 
    did they become aware of them?"
    
    The Foreign Office spokesman said: "The Foreign Office's IT systems 
    for handling classified information are among the most secure of any 
    used by diplomatic services worldwide.
    
    "Throughout the development of our IT systems, security has been a 
    paramount factor. We continue to invest in our IT systems."
    
    
    
    -
    ISN is currently hosted by Attrition.org
    
    To unsubscribe email majordomoat_private with 'unsubscribe isn'
    in the BODY of the mail.
    



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Dec 24 2002 - 09:10:56 PST