Oops – NASA loses laptop with secret information
There are a lot of red faces over at NASA after the organization lost a laptop containing secret information.
According to the BBC, a NASA employee recently had his car broken into. The thieves manage to walk away with the laptop along with hard-copy documents.
What was on the laptop?
And you might be wondering: What kind of high-grade security did the laptop have? Just a login password screen, like most of us.
This isn’t the first time the space agency landed in hot water over digital security.
NASA was warned in 2009 to pull up their socks when it comes to preventing data loss.
That didn’t stop them from doing anything concrete to lock down their devices. Between April 2009 and April 2011, NASA had to deal with the loss or theft of 48 “mobile computing devices.”
So what does NASA plan to do now that a laptop with sensitive information could be in the wrong hands? Encrypt mobile data.
NASA has now ordered its staff to encrypt data on laptops, so that even if someone were to crack the log-in password of a computer, they would have a tough time deciphering the scrambled data on the laptop’s hard
drive.
While it’s unlikely that anybody will be hacking in NASA and taking control of the Mars Curiosity rover anytime soon, NASA has warned employees to be on the lookout for anyone who receives phone calls and emails that might phish for more information.
How do you protect your data? Passwords? Encryption? Or nothing?
- Maurice Cacho, MSN Tech & Gadgets
Comments
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Posted by: Stephen | Nov 22, 2012 3:36:59 PM
It's way too relax on employee taking sensitive computer out side of NASA facility, they need to lock down all digital material in NASA.
No employee should taking any digital information out side NASA compound.
It's a shame to see such a stupid employee taking sensitive information, I think NASA should look into each individual employees back ground regular bases. The employee can communicate with Oversea spy in USA, taking bribe and ask them to broken into their car and still the computer or whatever digital informations. Make it looks like fake accident.
Where is the FBI, CIA?