Loss of gadgets: £21,000, Loss of private data: PRICELESS
Apparently in the last three years almost £21,000 worth of gadgets have been lost by Welsh Assembly civil servants and even the odd minister, Huw Thomas reports.
Breakdown of losses
2005: no losses were reported
2006: 16 laptops lost/stolen [All civil servants]
2007: 4 laptops lost/stolen [All civil servants]
2008: 8 laptops lost/stolen [All civil servants]; 7 blackberries lost/stolen [6 civil servants and 1 Minister/Deputy Minister]; 2 mobile phones lost/stolen [All civil servants]
So far in 2009 they have already lost: 'three laptops (civil servants), four mobiles (civil servants) and three Blackberries (from two civil servants and one special adviser)'.
Although £7,000 per year may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, you have to wonder what data was on these devices. Was it anything private? Secret? Was it encrypted? Also, it's unclear whether most of the gadgets were lost or stolen - are these civil servants incompetent, or are they being targeted by criminals or opportunists?
I think we need to know more.
