Laptop Cautionary Tale
UK - The former Director-General of UK's internal security service MI5 has had her laptop stolen at London's Heathrow airport on Tuesday.
Dame Stella Rimington, who headed the agency from 1992 to 1996, has since then become a well-known spy thriller author. According to the report, he laptop contained research for her next book, but it could have also contained sensitive information such as contact details of her former colleagues.
"Dame Stella seems to have forgotten the tricks of her tradecraft since leaving MI5," commented a source... (more)
"Dame Stella seems to have forgotten the tricks of her tradecraft since leaving MI5," commented a source... (more)
Tip: Password protect your laptop. Encrypt confidential files. Carry only essential information. Install track and remote erase security software.
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Memory Stick / Thumb Drive Cautionary Tale
The U.S. and Israel were responsible for creating the Stuxnet computer worm that wreaked havoc with Iranian nuclear facilities... And the first salvos in the massive cyberattack were launched via an unassuming piece of technology: a thumb drive... Thumb drives were “critical” in the initial Stuxnet attacks — which began in 2008 — although unspecified “more sophisticated” means were later used... “It turns out there is always an idiot around who doesn’t think much about the thumb drive in their hand,” one of the program’s architects said. (more)
Tip: You know that thumb drive you "found" in the parking lot?
Don't plug it in.
Smash it.
