Or at least, that's the claim on one side. On the other, accusations of theft. Regardless, it seems that to me that data encryption would have been an ideal solution to this problem, especially given the fact that the BNP has been leaking party member information left and right.
A former employee was arrested for taking a laptop computer with the names of all members of the BNP, a party 13,000 members strong. The BNP had called the police once they found the laptop missing. However, that same employee--arrested and released--claims that the laptop computer had been given to her because the BNP couldn't pay her. It wasn't her fault her bosses didn't realize that the thing held the membership list for the entire party! Who's the telling the truth? I guess an easy way to find out is to check the employee's pay-stubs, and see if she was paid on time. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that she was given the laptop. She could very well have taken the thing as payment without the authorization to do so. (Similar to people stealing a case of pens for a bonus they thought they were entitled to. Which I never quite understood. A case of pencils is, like, what, $10? That's a bonus? I probably steal $10 worth of pens every other month without realizing it...) There is this story to consider, though: A BNP fundraiser is being investigated by police for sending an employee a photo of himself apparently armed with a shotgun. Anti-abortion campaigner and loyalist Jim Dowson, 45, sent the mobile phone footage to the woman after they fell out over a computer which holds the entire BNP membership database.... ...Yesterday, the Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed an investigation was under way into the photo. A spokesman added: "A woman was also arrested in relation to a report of a theft of a laptop computer. She has been released without charge pending further inquiries." [my emphasis, dailyrecord.co.uk, link below] If I may make some assumptions, it seems that going to the police about the theft of a laptop is enough. Sending threatening photos after having done so? Unnecessary. However, sending such photos may make sense, if, as the woman claims, the laptop was given in lieu of payment, and the BNP realized what a stupid move that was. I can imagine people using such antics when trying to recover something on the hush-hush.
A former employee was arrested for taking a laptop computer with the names of all members of the BNP, a party 13,000 members strong. The BNP had called the police once they found the laptop missing.
However, that same employee--arrested and released--claims that the laptop computer had been given to her because the BNP couldn't pay her. It wasn't her fault her bosses didn't realize that the thing held the membership list for the entire party!
Who's the telling the truth? I guess an easy way to find out is to check the employee's pay-stubs, and see if she was paid on time. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that she was given the laptop. She could very well have taken the thing as payment without the authorization to do so. (Similar to people stealing a case of pens for a bonus they thought they were entitled to. Which I never quite understood. A case of pencils is, like, what, $10? That's a bonus? I probably steal $10 worth of pens every other month without realizing it...)
There is this story to consider, though:
A BNP fundraiser is being investigated by police for sending an employee a photo of himself apparently armed with a shotgun. Anti-abortion campaigner and loyalist Jim Dowson, 45, sent the mobile phone footage to the woman after they fell out over a computer which holds the entire BNP membership database.... ...Yesterday, the Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed an investigation was under way into the photo. A spokesman added: "A woman was also arrested in relation to a report of a theft of a laptop computer. She has been released without charge pending further inquiries." [my emphasis, dailyrecord.co.uk, link below]
If I may make some assumptions, it seems that going to the police about the theft of a laptop is enough. Sending threatening photos after having done so? Unnecessary.
However, sending such photos may make sense, if, as the woman claims, the laptop was given in lieu of payment, and the BNP realized what a stupid move that was. I can imagine people using such antics when trying to recover something on the hush-hush.
The BNP has had breaches before, as I've noted. And, at least in one instance, it has led to real danger. An ex-member living in West Yorkshire had his car firebombed after the leak. (Well, supposedly an ex-member. The person could not have been a member at all; he could have signed up to see what it was all about and hightailed it out of there...) Anyway, the position the BNP has taken is not very popular, and seeing how a violent attempt was made on a supposed member, an information leak could lead to dire consequences. As such, it seems to me that using some kind of data protection software, perhaps file encryption, or even full disk encryption like AlertBoot on their laptops, would be appropriate. But, even more appropriate is not giving out laptops as forms of payment.
The BNP has had breaches before, as I've noted. And, at least in one instance, it has led to real danger. An ex-member living in West Yorkshire had his car firebombed after the leak. (Well, supposedly an ex-member. The person could not have been a member at all; he could have signed up to see what it was all about and hightailed it out of there...)
Anyway, the position the BNP has taken is not very popular, and seeing how a violent attempt was made on a supposed member, an information leak could lead to dire consequences. As such, it seems to me that using some kind of data protection software, perhaps file encryption, or even full disk encryption like AlertBoot on their laptops, would be appropriate.
But, even more appropriate is not giving out laptops as forms of payment.
Related Articles and Sites:http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/11/15/cops-find-laptop-with-13-000-bnp-members-names-on-it-115875-21822747/http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/2009/11/01/worker-s-fear-after-bnp-scot-sends-photo-of-himself-with-shotgun-78057-21789678/http://www.databreaches.net/?p=8278http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/British-National-Party-Members-Home-Firebombed---Police-Investigating/Article/200811315157335