[ISN] Immigration Agency computer failure causes security lapse

From: InfoSec News <alerts_at_private>
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2009 00:33:41 -0600 (CST)
http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=829701

By Han Nai-kuo
Central News Agency
2009-01-05

Taipei, Jan. 5 (CNA) A failure of the National Immigration Agency's 
computer system at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport from early 
Monday caused not only long queues at the pre-departure clearance area, 
but also a lapse in national security.

Interior Minister Liao Liou-yi and National Immigration Agency (NIA) 
Director-General Hsieh Li-kung arrived at the airport Monday afternoon 
and stayed for 20 minutes to express concern over the system failure.

NIA Deputy Director-General Huang Pi-hsia said that as of 2 p.m.

the computer system has been partially repaired, but she added that the 
whole system might be back to normal Monday evening or by Tuesday at the 
latest.

Because of the computer breakdown, immigration officials had to register 
the names and other information of departing passengers by hand, causing 
long queues at each check point, but no outgoing flights were delayed as 
a result.

Huang said she was not sure whether anyone restricted from leaving 
Taiwan under court orders might have used possible loopholes caused by 
the malfunctioning computers to slip out of Taiwan.

"After the computer system is back to normal, we will find that out by 
sifting through the passenger information," she said.


_______________________________________________      
Please help InfoSecNews.org with a donation!
http://www.infosecnews.org/donate.html
Received on Mon Jan 05 2009 - 22:33:41 PST

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.2.0 : Mon Jan 05 2009 - 22:47:36 PST