The council’s web site proclaims that it is registered under the Data Protection Act, yet the way it looks after its data suggests otherwise. You would think that after so many high-profile data loss stories, it would have tightened up its procedures.
This lost information contains enough details to be useful to even the worst identity fraudster. Surely anything that sensitive should be kept behind a wide range of security measures. From data encryption software and remote data deletion to password protection and even fingerprint scanners, the technology is readily available to protect data when it is taken offsite. It’s a shame the council didn’t seem to know this.
Why aren’t there any clear guidelines for the public sector on protecting our data? Councils are fined if they do not adhere to health and safety laws – why don’t they apply this to the Data Protection Act? Perhaps punitive measures are needed to make sure they get it right.
Brett RaynesRumours from the US that the datacentre market is heading for a crash can only be described as scaremongering (The evolution of the datacentre).
The market for hosted services continues to grow exponentially with the exploding popularity of sites such as Flickr, Facebook and Twitter. More datacentres will be needed to cope with this demand.
Meanwhile, restrictions on capital expenditure mean businesses that may need their own datacentres simply won’t have the resources to build them. Thus the number of companies looking to outsource to a dedicated datacentre provider will only increase.Robin Ellis, BlueSquare Data
I have every sympathy with Tim Featherstone-Griffin (http://letters.computing.co.uk) as I experience a different though related problem with my name.
Most web sites don’t seem able to accept the correct spelling of my name – Shân – or if they do, I get something like “Shân” in response.
There should be an anti-discrimination law that would ensure web designers and database validation do not display an error message saying I have entered my name incorrectly.Shân Hughes
Arrogant or what?
And what does shadow immigration minister Damian Green mean by “unworkable scheme”?
It strikes me that if the cards are being issued, and used, the scheme obviously isn’t unworkable.
The man is an idiot.
Voter with a long memory
It’s about time HP/EDS got a wake-up call from its workers (HP strike ballot threatens DWP projects).
HP is a strong company. Its workers should be rewarded for their part in that and not suffer unnecessary redundancies simply because the top-tier management want their inflated bonuses.
Sid RimsSo the only thing that has changed is that the company has agreed to talk to the union and that now, instead of getting paid in lieu of notice and going on 11 December, those being made redundant have to work their notice period.
Own goal, anyone?I’ll see how it works out, but given that the union is throwing money to those idiots in the Labour Party to win a “safe” seat and they seem to be unable to negotiate, I may have to reconsider my membership.
Name withheld on requestIndeed, one can understand the European Commission’s motivation. If you look at Oracle’s price increases, it is clearly not a competitive market. Oracle is one of the few that raised prices in the worst economic slowdown – and its sheer market power is a real issue.
However, the EU is picking the wrong battle as MySQL does not actually compete with the Oracle database. As a lightweight open-source provider, MySQL focuses on web developers and small deployments, with little to no transaction processing.
At Ingres, the world’s second-largest open-source provider, we compete with Oracle for large, business-critical deployment opportunities and have never seen MySQL as a threat.
We actually agree with Larry Ellison’s stance that MySQL and Oracle operate in, and are targeted at, different market segments.
What the European Commission decision reveals is that it does not understand the open-source software market and is actually way off in its objections to Oracle’s acquisition of Sun.
Open-source software cannot be controlled by one company. Once the source code has been released under an open-source licence, access cannot be denied nor can other companies be prevented from building a business around it.
Blocking the deal on the grounds of “protecting” MySQL will not help customers affected by vendor lock-in and price hikes from Oracle. At Ingres, we compete effectively with Oracle by providing an alternative to its proprietary database, and will continue to do so whether or not MySQL is under the Oracle umbrella.
Ketan Karia, IngresWhat of IT’s role in leading business innovation? Which other area of an organisation has such a deep understanding of business processes, manages change on a daily basis and is in such a unique position to deliver innovation? This potential for innovation will only be realised when IT is seen as an integral part of business development and more entrepreneurial IT directors emerge to lead the way.
Graham PerryI am amused when I receive letters through the post showing my address as apparently in a town called MacClesfield.
Graham SteelA reduction in IT graduates entering the industry will therefore be detrimental to any ambition the UK may have of becoming a world leader in technology.
It is the responsibility of government, businesses and academia to guarantee that the long-term supply of IT skills is a priority, despite the recession.More importantly, students must be encouraged to study the IT skills required by business, such as the ability to maintain the core systems upon which most organisations will continue to rely for years. Given the correct encouragement and a strong skills base, the IT industry is well positioned to lead Britain out of recession, generating jobs for the future.
Darin Edmunds