Thursday, January 11, 2007

MI5 e-mail alert signup shambles

Recently it was reported that MI5 to send e-mail terror alerts saying that

People will be able to register on the MI5 website to receive updates when the threat level changes...The Home Office says it is part of a long-planned programme of reaching out to the public and keeping it better informed about the terrorist threat.

Plans to extend the service to sending text messages to mobile phones are also being considered.'


However, what is not being so widely reported is what such a shambles it has been! Not only the mess - but also importantly All email subscription web forms sent to the USA, without encryption

What a shambles over the heavily hyped "MI5 e-mail alert system", which failed to be available on Tuesday morning, as was implied in the media, but which has appeared on Tuesday evening, with all the appearance of a rushed job !

Spyblog notes that:

Astonishingly, MI5, the Security Service, part of whose remit is supposed to be giving protection advice against electronic attacks over the internet, is sending all our personal details (forename, surname and email address) unencrypted to commercial third party e-mail marketing and tracking companies which are physically and legally in the jurisdiction of the United States of America, and is even not bothering to make use of the SSL / TLS encrypted web forms and processing scripts which are already available to them.


Should the use of mobile technologies be allowed into state hands?? One wonders...

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