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Contractor admits thefts from Hampshire air traffic control centre (From This is Hampshire)
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Contractor admits thefts from Hampshire air traffic control centre
12:31pm Monday 13th July 2009
AN IT worker risked national security by stealing £10,000 worth of laptops and mobile phones and selling them on the internet, a court heard today.
Andrew Woffindin, 43, had high-level security clearance at National Air Traffic Services control centre in Swanwick where he had worked for several years.
He pleaded guilty to seven counts of theft by an employee, which amounted to six laptops and ten phones, at Fareham Magistrates' Court today.
A further 119 counts will be taken in to consideration when he is sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on August 7.
Woffindin, of Angus Close, Fareham, worked as an IT contractor for Serco Group plc.
He was caught when a missing laptop was spotted on an internet auction site and a test purchase exposed him as the seller.
His home was searched and further stolen items were found.
Ruth Sands, prosecuting, said: “The defendant handled data up to top secret level so he was a trusted man.”
She said Woffindin stole to supplement his family income and pay bills and credit card debts.
She asked for the case to go to crown court for sentencing due to the “sensitivity of the information of the items being sold and the possible breach of national security”.
She added: “It goes that high.”
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Your Say YourHampshire
Linesman, Fareham says...
2:53pm Mon 13 Jul 09
I hope that the judge does take that into consideration and give him a longer sentence in prison, not the soft option of 'community service'!
He was working for the community, and abused his position!
LOCK HIM UP!
Derek of Dibden Purlieu, Hampshire says...
2:54pm Mon 13 Jul 09
MaxxieO, Shirley says...
4:07pm Mon 13 Jul 09
Brite Spark, Titchfield Haven says...
5:00pm Mon 13 Jul 09
10 Minute Man, Bitterne says...
8:00pm Mon 13 Jul 09
Find out whether the laptops were actually used for handling secret or top secret information.
And if they still had data on them.
Then find out if the laptops he flogged had encryption on them, using a CESG approved product supporting enhanced level encryption or above.
And if so, whether the access tokens were given to the buyers.
Oh and if that's all true, prosecute the users of those machines since they haven't been taking due care of the information in their charge. This is a serious crime.
SC level clearance lasts for 10 years, giving need-to-know access to secret and occasional supervised access to top-secret information, under GPMS.
This alleged thief may not have had any access to anything whilst at NATS.
But if he's found stealing from his workplace, then sure lock him up for being a thief.
Condor Man, Southampton says...
10:41pm Mon 13 Jul 09
Andy Locks Heath, says...
7:15am Tue 14 Jul 09
10 Minute Man wrote:Always good to have well informed factual reporting on these pages. It's a pity it rarely comes from the journalists.
Here's a radical idea for kneeJERK commenters - let's wait for the facts.
Find out whether the laptops were actually used for handling secret or top secret information.
And if they still had data on them.
Then find out if the laptops he flogged had encryption on them, using a CESG approved product supporting enhanced level encryption or above.
And if so, whether the access tokens were given to the buyers.
Oh and if that's all true, prosecute the users of those machines since they haven't been taking due care of the information in their charge. This is a serious crime.
SC level clearance lasts for 10 years, giving need-to-know access to secret and occasional supervised access to top-secret information, under GPMS.
This alleged thief may not have had any access to anything whilst at NATS.
But if he's found stealing from his workplace, then sure lock him up for being a thief.
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bumblysaint, new forest says...
2:31pm Mon 13 Jul 09
hard. To risk National security
you were once considered to be a
traitor,treason was
punishable by hanging.Of course in
these days when no one is supposed to be
made responsible for
any act they commit
he's not gonna be hung however much he
deserves to be.Hope
this lump of s**t gets a really stiff
sentence and people
remember what he's done when he gets out
and where he is.
Revenge,much better
when served on a cold platter.