Government data breaches have been pretty high on the IT radar in recent weeks, so much so that the DLP and encryption firms must be rubbing their hands with glee, Sneak reckons. Well, you would have thought so. But in a classic display of know-it-all arrogance our self-righteous leaders have decided to address the biggest and worst breach – at the HMRC – not by installing new technology and processes, but by appointing 37 data guardians to make sure this never happens again.

Will these agents really do as intended and "strengthen the management of the department's data assets" or do they represent just another pointless layer of bureaucracy which the taxpayer will no doubt be footing the bill for? Well, at the risk of sounding like he's just read too much Daily Mail … Sneak probably plumps for the latter.

03 Mar 2008