Oct 20, 2010
Infosec: “Nuclear secrets” found on unencrypted USB stick
WHAT? I hear you say in shock and horror. Simple rules and policy that is all it needed, lucky the coach driver that found the USB stick handed it back to the authorities for safe keeping. Point is that he still had access to the information and there is no way of telling whether any of the data was copied, emailed or duplicated in some shape or form. The question begging to be asked; How does a nuclear facility not have information security in place? An enforceable security policy on USB drives and data storage, encrypt it, encrypt it, encrypt it again. We are talking about national security here, actually encrypt it a forth time to make sure and then guard it with everything you have if it must leave the office or work place. I could not have said it better than this really.
According to Credant vice president, whilst the convenience of USB sticks make them an important tool for any business, you don’t have to be a nuclear scientist to know that the data carried on these devices must be protected.
Perhaps they should also consider the coach driver for the role of CISO at the nuclear facility, sounds like he knows more about the importance of information and the securing there of.
As the coach driver is quoted as saying in the local press, what if the USB stick had fallen into the hands of terrorists, or contained top secret information?
I don’t know what is worse the data breach or that the local press article printing the coach drivers name, address, company, hotel details the data was found in and then published a photo of the man along with it, they should just have called the miscreants of the world and said “Here you go, do what you need to but get the information off of him quickly.”
For the full shocking story read more here and the local press article
