UK GOVERNMENT COMPUTERS STOLEN Lost by the MoD – 200 computers and memory sticks - Scotsman.com News:


Lost by the MoD – 200 computers and memory sticks



Published Date: 25 November 2008
By EMILY ASHTON

ALMOST 200 memory sticks, desktop computers, laptops and hard drives were lost this year alone by the Ministry of Defence, a minister said last night.

Some 74 media storage devices were also stolen this year, the junior defence minister Kevan Jones said.

He said that from 1 January to 5 November 2008, losses included 59 memory sticks, 62 laptops, four desktop PCs and 72 hard drives. Stolen items listed for the same period were six memory sticks, 58 laptops, eight desktops and two hard drives.

Mr Jones told MPs ministers took loss of storage devices 'very seriously'.

Since 2003, 866 laptops have been stolen from the MoD, with 178 laptops reported lost. Some 157 desktop computers were stolen over the last five years and seven were lost.

The number of hard drives reported lost this year – 72 – is the highest for the department since records began in 2003.

In total, 145 hard drives have been lost from the MoD since 2003 and 33 have been stolen.

Last month, a hard drive with the private details of 100,000 armed forces personnel went missing from the department.