[Dataloss] A thought on USG data protection capability

[Richard Forno]

Given the ever-worsening data security fiascos at the VA, DOE, and
who-knows-where-else, if you set aside the whole "domestic surveillance" and
"false positive" arguments for a minute, does anyone else here doubt the
USG's ability to safeguard effectively such treasure-troves of personal
information it wants to or is collecting under such "anti-terrorist"
programs? What privacy oversights and protections are in place over such
data?  Would an unscrupulus DOD contractor be able to offload a bunch of
MySpace blogs (or private LiveJournal entries) and peruse them at leisure
from their laptop at home?

Looking at recent data loss stories, I'm not particularly confident of the
USG's demonstrated competence in protecting private information.  Yet the
desire for collecting it continues...

Thoughts?
 
-rick
Infowarrior.org