Sensitive MI6 Data Found on Second-Hand Camera
Sensitive MI6 Data Found on Second-Hand Camera
October 2, 2008: The British Government is investigating a serious security breach this week after secret MI6 documents containing sensitive information relating to members of al-Qaeda were discovered on a digital camera sold on eBay.
Purchased by a 28 year-old delivery driver, the documents – which included details of an MI6 computer system, the academic records of suspects, fingerprints and photos of rocket launchers – were discovered in the memory of a Nikon camera he had bought on eBay for £17 ($38).
The driver discovered the delinquent data when downloading pictures from a holiday in America, and contacted authorities immediately.
A spokesman from the Foreign Office has confirmed that an investigation into the breach is underway, but it is already far too late for the department to avoid embarrassment in what is not only a highly worrying security breach, but sadly yet another incident in a long line bungles by UK Government departments.
As for the delivery driver, he’s very lucky he didn’t run into any trouble with US customs. If so, he could have found himself having another holiday closer to Havana.
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