secure network transfers

An ironic update to yesterdays story about the loss of sensitive data in the UK. My wife who is in the middle of changing her employment status had enquired of HMRC about assistance that they might give to sole traders and small businesses. We got a letter today with some incorrect assertions about her tax status from a lady at our local office. The email address listed was a .gsi.gov.uk address or government secure intranet

From the 2004 press release about the then latest gsi investment

The £40 million new Government Secure Intranet (GSi) has gone live, linking over 140 local and central government departments with over 280,000 users. There are over a million potential users, if & when the GSi is linked to the Criminal Justice Network, the NHS Network and the MOD. It'll be a fundamental backbone for e-Government in the UK for the next few years.

The new GSi, provided by Energis, will enable all central and local Government departments and public sector organisations to communicate quickly, easily and securely. 

Hugh Barrett, chief executive, OGCbuying.solutions, said: "The new Energis GSi represents a step change in technology, with the capacity to transform the way government communicates. The new contract, which is available to central civil government and the wider public sector, as well as government suppliers, has the potential to finally deliver joined-up government in a way not previously possible."

So HMRC already have access to a secure internal intergovernmental network, and indeed are advertising it as the method to contact them. They chose however to transmit the sensitive data by CD and Courier.