...Top Secret Documents... wait a second... D'OH!LONDON - Secret government documents on al-Qaida and Iraq were left on a commuter train, prompting a major police investigation into the latest in a series of embarrassing security breaches, British officials said Wednesday. The documents belonged to a senior intelligence official in the Cabinet office and were found by a passenger on a London commuter train Tuesday. The envelope was then passed to the British Broadcasting Corp.You know, in my profession, any documents containing any sensitive, personal, "eyes only" information never leave the office. Never. Just a suggestion.
Seven pages stamped "UK Top Secret" included the latest government intelligence assessment on al-Qaida and Iraq's security forces, the BBC said. The documents were also stamped "for UK/US/Canadian and Australian eyes only." The first page was dated June 5, the BBC reported.
Ya think?The security breach is the latest in a string of government data losses and comes as Britain pushes for an expansion of its national DNA database — already the largest per capita in the world — and works to finalize plans for an ID program.
"This is just the latest in a long line of serious breaches of security ... further highlighting the most basic failures in this government's ability to maintain our security," said Pauline Neville-Jones of the opposition Conservative party.
A computer containing sensitive details on 600,000 prospective military recruits was snatched from the car of a Royal Navy recruitment officer in central England in January.
The data included details of candidates' religions and some banking records. It was not encrypted.
In another breach, tax officials last year lost computer disks containing information — including banking records — on nearly half the British population.
"There should be strict guidelines about when such secret documents are outside carefully monitored premises," said Chris Huhne with the Liberal Democrats, the third largest opposition party.
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