Stolen laptop prompts investigations

LONDON, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- British Defense Secretary Des Browne announced Monday a promise to enhance security for Ministry of Defense proprietary information.

The announcement by Browne updating the British House of Commons was in response to the theft of a Royal Navy officer's laptop on Jan. 9. Officials say the stolen computer contained personal information of approximately 600,000 potential recruits. Of that number 153,000 persons had extensive personal data listed, the British Ministry of Defense reported.

"The Ministry of Defense has clear policies, systems and procedures in place to protect the security of information -- both personal data and classified information," Browne said in a statement.

"We have software protection through encryption and a formal information security process through which individual information technology systems and the databases they contain must be accredited by the appropriate Ministry of Defense authorities. Our internal investigations following this theft reveal that those procedures were not followed. This was a breach of Ministry of Defense security regulations."

Browne said an internal investigation led by the Ministry of Defense's head of security has identified weaknesses in the application of Ministry of Defense security procedures. Browne also told the House of Commons that he has assigned an independent review among other security initiatives.

"I am determined that we should identify exactly what went wrong and learn lessons. This must never happen again," Browne said.