Security concerns over the 2010 World Cup were heightened at the weekend when a friend of the former World Cup winner Franz Beckenbauer was shot dead in a suspected robbery on the eve of the preliminary draw in Durban.
Pieter Burgstaller, an Austrian former professional goalkeeper with SV Salzburg, died from gunshot wounds suffered on a golf course near here on Friday, reviving the concerns over high crime rates which have dogged South Africa’s preparations for the tournament. In a separate incident the German team manager, Oliver Bierhoff, had his briefcase stolen at his hotel yesterday.
– The Guardian
Revenue officials have been routinely posting out people’s confidential data in bulk and without proper security, a Sunday Times investigation has found. It undermines Gordon Brown’s claim that the loss of 25m child benefit records was the fault of a lone junior official.
The prime minister last week blamed the junior civil servant for the loss of two computer discs containing the personal and financial details of the claimants. He said they had been posted out in a clear breach of rules that all sensitive data in transit should be encrypted.
– The Times
It was one of the most audacious jewel thefts in history. In the middle of a crowded room, the famed Star of the Empress Sisi was stolen from its high-security case and replaced with a replica.
Nine years after the heist, a criminal mastermind has finally revealed how he stole the Austrian royal heirloom while travelling the world carrying out frauds and thefts on the orders of a mysterious British crime boss.
Details of Gerald Blanchard’s years as head of the most sophisticated crime gang in Canadian history has led to prosecutors comparing his activities to the Hollywood movie Ocean’s 11.
– The Times
The Government failed to heed warnings that would have averted last week’s fiasco involving HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), it can be disclosed.
The concerns were raised two years ago by Dr Mark Walport, who ironically was asked by Gordon Brown last month to head a six-month review on the use of personal information.
The security expert co-authored a report for the Council for Science and Technology, an independent government advisory body, which warned that departments needed to “streamline data protection protocols” and improve security.
– The Telegraph
