Watching You: Child Support Agency Spies
IT seems that hardly a day goes by without some security bungle or other by a government agency.
This time it’s the Child Support Agency in the firing line after it was revealed that CSA staff have been allowed to carry out credit checks on friends and neighbours. Just for the hell of it.
According to the Mirror, inexperienced staff were allowed to utilise credit search agency Equifax to snoop on individuals’ personal finances.
According to an unnamed CSA source, “This is a scandal. They gave access to part-time and temp workers they knew nothing about. They could get info on anyone in the country with a credit history.”
While former Scotland Yard fraud office Tom Craig is also concerned. He says the “risk is colossal – it is a major data protection breach”.
What is all the more worrying is the news that CSA bosses were fully aware of the situation.
We might as well all just write our bank details on our foreheads in indelible ink.
Posted: 16th, May 2007 | In: Money Comments (2) | TrackBack | Permalink
