Ministry confident info secure

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Ministry confident info secure





CASSIDY OLIVIER/KTW
SIGN OF THE TIMES: The Southill Street office of the Ministry of
Children and Family Development let clients know why it had to close on
Wednesday.
By CASSIDY OLIVIER
Staff reporter
Dec 29 2006



'unless they had the user key and pass code, it would be hard to
access'


A government policy requiring employees with the Ministry of Children
and Family Development to save sensitive data on the ministry's
secure network should make it difficult for people to access
confidential information, a ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.

Speaking a day after the nighttime robbery of laptops and cash from the
ministry's Southill Street building, the spokesperson, who did not
want to be named, said the policy ensures confidential information
remains protected.

He said it was therefore unlikely that sensitive information had been
saved on any of the stolen laptops that are now in the hands of
thieves.

"Even if they had the computers, unless they had the user key and
pass code, it would be hard to access [the information]," the
spokesperson told KTW.

As of press deadline yesterday, ministry staff were still trying to
contact the users of the laptops to ensure they had adhered to the
policy.

However, the spokesperson said the ministry was "fairly confident
that everything [was] secure."

Police responded to the ministry's alarm at approximately 10:55 p.m.
on Tuesday.

When officers arrived shortly after 11 p.m., they found a side door
ajar, with fresh footprints in the snow leading to the lane.

Fresh vehicle tracks led from the lane out onto the street.

Kamloops RCMP Staff Sgt. Wes Waters said the footprints indicated there
were at least two people involved in the robbery.

While he believed the theft was "random," Waters was unable to
speculate if the speed of the heist could hint at a familiarity with
the building.

"It is still too early [to comment on that]," he said.

On Wednesday, the doors of the ministry were locked as investigators
completed their on-scene analysis.

A hastily made sign hung in the building's front door, indicating it
was closed for the day.

Investigators concluded their analysis by Wednesday afternoon and the
ministry was open again yesterday.

No arrests have been made.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact the Kamloops RCMP
at 828-3000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.