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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/dec/03/nadine-dorries-under-fire-for-lax-attitude-to-cyber-security
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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Nadine Dorries under fire for lax attitude to cybersecurity | Nadine Dorries under fire for lax attitude to cybersecurity |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| While defending Damian Green, the Tory MP admitted she allows all levels of staff to log on to her computer | |
| Hannah Summers | |
| Sun 3 Dec 2017 21.47 GMT | |
| Last modified on Mon 4 Dec 2017 00.36 GMT | |
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| Conservative MP Nadine Dorries has come under fire for having a lax attitude to cybersecurity after divulging on Twitter that she shares her login and passwords with staff, including temporary interns. | Conservative MP Nadine Dorries has come under fire for having a lax attitude to cybersecurity after divulging on Twitter that she shares her login and passwords with staff, including temporary interns. |
| She was defending her colleague, Damian Green, who has been accused of having pornography on his Commons computer, when she made the admission. | She was defending her colleague, Damian Green, who has been accused of having pornography on his Commons computer, when she made the admission. |
| Questioning the claims of a retired police officer, who said Green must have been responsible for the material found on his machine, she tweeted: “My staff log onto my computer on my desk with my login everyday. Including interns on exchange programmes.” | Questioning the claims of a retired police officer, who said Green must have been responsible for the material found on his machine, she tweeted: “My staff log onto my computer on my desk with my login everyday. Including interns on exchange programmes.” |
| My staff log onto my computer on my desk with my login everyday. Including interns on exchange programmes. For the officer on @BBCNews just now to claim that the computer on Greens desk was accessed and therefore it was Green is utterly preposterous !! | My staff log onto my computer on my desk with my login everyday. Including interns on exchange programmes. For the officer on @BBCNews just now to claim that the computer on Greens desk was accessed and therefore it was Green is utterly preposterous !! |
| A social media backlash ensued, forcing the Mid Bedfordshire MP to defend her position with a flurry of tweets claiming sharing passwords was standard practice around parliament, despite being a breach of IT security rules. | A social media backlash ensued, forcing the Mid Bedfordshire MP to defend her position with a flurry of tweets claiming sharing passwords was standard practice around parliament, despite being a breach of IT security rules. |
| For the record, Nadine, it is a fundamental DPA security breach to have staff access to a Parliamentary account in this way. I work in local govt & it is drummed into us from day one regarding client security and access to personal data. You're breaking the law. @NadineDorries https://t.co/zh6l3VJbuy | For the record, Nadine, it is a fundamental DPA security breach to have staff access to a Parliamentary account in this way. I work in local govt & it is drummed into us from day one regarding client security and access to personal data. You're breaking the law. @NadineDorries https://t.co/zh6l3VJbuy |
| Responding to claims she has a “cavalier attitude to data security”, she said she was a backbench MP who did not have access to government documents. | Responding to claims she has a “cavalier attitude to data security”, she said she was a backbench MP who did not have access to government documents. |
| She told critics in one reply: “You don’t have a team of four to six staff answering the 300 emails you receive every day.” | She told critics in one reply: “You don’t have a team of four to six staff answering the 300 emails you receive every day.” |
| Flattered by number of people on here who think I’m part of the Government and have access to government docs 😅I’m a back bench MP - 2 Westminster based computers in a shared office. On my computer, there is a shared email account. That’s it. Nothing else. Sorry to disappoint! | Flattered by number of people on here who think I’m part of the Government and have access to government docs 😅I’m a back bench MP - 2 Westminster based computers in a shared office. On my computer, there is a shared email account. That’s it. Nothing else. Sorry to disappoint! |
| Her fellow MP, Nick Boles, waded into the debate to say he also shared his password for the same reason. | Her fellow MP, Nick Boles, waded into the debate to say he also shared his password for the same reason. |
| I certainly do. In fact I often forget my password and have to ask my staff what it is. | I certainly do. In fact I often forget my password and have to ask my staff what it is. |
| And Colchester MP Will Quince added: “Less login sharing and more that I leave my machine unlocked so they can use it if needs be. My office manager does know my login though. Ultimately I trust my team.” | And Colchester MP Will Quince added: “Less login sharing and more that I leave my machine unlocked so they can use it if needs be. My office manager does know my login though. Ultimately I trust my team.” |
| The House of Commons handbook rules states that staff must not share their passwords. | The House of Commons handbook rules states that staff must not share their passwords. |
| Less login sharing and more that I leave my machine unlocked so they can use it if needs be. My office manager does know my login though. Ultimately I trust my team. | Less login sharing and more that I leave my machine unlocked so they can use it if needs be. My office manager does know my login though. Ultimately I trust my team. |
| According to the Sky News data protection officer, Carl Gottlieb: “Sharing access to confidential systems should always be minimised, especially in government where security and audit trails are paramount. | According to the Sky News data protection officer, Carl Gottlieb: “Sharing access to confidential systems should always be minimised, especially in government where security and audit trails are paramount. |
| “MPs and the civil service have a track record of lax practices around sharing passwords and this needs to change. MPs, like many senior managers, have teams around them that act as a bubble of trust. Interns are trusted to handle their email and social media accounts on a daily basis. | “MPs and the civil service have a track record of lax practices around sharing passwords and this needs to change. MPs, like many senior managers, have teams around them that act as a bubble of trust. Interns are trusted to handle their email and social media accounts on a daily basis. |
| He added: “This usually works well until, eventually, the bubble bursts, and previously trusted personnel make mistakes or go rogue. | He added: “This usually works well until, eventually, the bubble bursts, and previously trusted personnel make mistakes or go rogue. |
| “Edward Snowden was the greatest example of this, with his NSA colleagues trusting him with their passwords, leading to the biggest breach in security the world has ever seen.” | “Edward Snowden was the greatest example of this, with his NSA colleagues trusting him with their passwords, leading to the biggest breach in security the world has ever seen.” |
| The row over password sharing comes as a Cabinet Office inquiry examines claims pornography was found on a computer in Green’s parliamentary office. | The row over password sharing comes as a Cabinet Office inquiry examines claims pornography was found on a computer in Green’s parliamentary office. |
| He denies watching or downloading pornography on his computer. | He denies watching or downloading pornography on his computer. |
| Nadine Dorries | |
| Internet safety | |
| Conservatives | |
| House of Commons | |
| Damian Green | |
| news | |
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