Columns

So if a media organisation can do this, why can't the government? Compared to The Times, the government has immense resources, yet it takes few practical steps to search out offenders. So will we see any action?

It's hard to be optimistic when the government can't even make use of off-the-shelf software to keep its own data safe. Vista may be much maligned, but BitLocker is a terrific feature: if the government made this mandatory, we'd never have to hear about MI5 laptops being left in taxis ever again. All that vital data would be safely encrypted on the hard disk.

So the technology is in place; all we need now is for Gordon Brown and his cohorts to realise just how serious data security is. And I'm an optimist: just like banks have taken great measures to improve their approach to data security, so I'm sure will government. Just not without all of us - media, the public, businesses - applying plenty of pressure first.