Blogroll Me! How This Old Brit Sees It ...: MI5 Send Brit Secrets To The US ...

14 January 2007

MI5 Send Brit Secrets To The US ...



Well, we're certainly not sorry to have to say that - nope, not in the slightest - we told you so.

Though the truth is that even a couple of cynical old codgers such as ourselves never expected to see the MI5 'terror-alert-email' suckers being proved to be so patently stupid ( as we warned they were), -- so soon.

After all, it's only been six short days since we said:

UK Secret Intelligence Services Set To Start Spam Surge Soon ...

Then, in this morning's Sunday Mail we read this:

MI5 terror alert blunder sends private data to US mailshot firm

By JASON LEWIS - Confidential details sent to MI5 by thousands of individuals and businesses have ended up with an American company specialising in supermarket mailshots.

The security service's new email early warning system was designed to reassure the public in the wake of the July 7 bombings and the disclosure of a string of failed terror plots.

It was launched by the Home Office last week. The Government said it was part of a long-planned programme to keep the public better informed about the terrorist threat.

People signing up for the alerts were asked to type their name and email details into the MI5 website alongside an assurance their personal information would be protected by the Data Protection Act and the Security Services Act.

They were emailed back by MI5 with the message: "Thank you for your request to subscribe to the MI5/Home Office Threat Level Update email list."

Subscribers were led to believe their details were being kept in secure computer files at MI5's Thames House headquarters in Whitehall.

But The Mail on Sunday can reveal the service is not being run by MI5. Instead it has been paying Whatcounts Inc, a US computer firm based in Seattle ...

Make no mistake, this is a serious scandal. This is precisely the kind of (criminal), cock-up that truly does threaten our national security.

That such personal details/data of Britons - be they naive buggers or not - be purposely passed to such a (self confessed, self-interest-serving), foreign country is beyond belief. At least would have been, once upon a time .

So.

So much for the 'intelligence' of those trusted with the tremendously, important task of running Britain's Secret Intelligence Services - of which MI5 is just one department.

Eh?

Perhaps an extra word ought to be added to their tremendously secretive sounding title. One which might much more readily reflect the reality of the rapidly increasing number of goof-ups going on therein -- apparently on a ruddy regular basis.

For example, they could become the Inept Secret Intelligence Services.

Or, the Incompetent Secret Intelligence Services.

Maybe, the Idiotic Secret Intelligence Services.

Perhaps, the Infantile Secret Intelligent Services.

Possibly, even the Infiltrated Secret Intelligence Services.

You may even have some suggestions of your own which you'd care to share.

If so, feel free; be our guest.

But not before reading the rest of today's Mail's report.

*

5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh yoo hoo .... mr mi5 .... please put me on your mailing list .... pretty please ...

duh ........

have can you feel sorry for such sad sacks ......

11:50 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I like the idea of the 'Somewhat Secret Intelligence Service'.

Great blog, by the way. Nice to at last find another from the North West. :)

1:30 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Erm, how about the Suspect Secret Intelligence Services?

1:47 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Supossedly Secret Intelligence Service ?

2:44 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Richard--

There is an upside to this: when I lost your e-mail address, I was able to get it from the CIA website.

2:33 pm  

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