The Guardian reported today that RIM (of Blackberry fame) had to resolve an “obscure bug”, which caused the BBC to suspended use of the mobile devices due to security concerns:

“Siemens, which provides the IT backbone for the BBC’s email system, was asked to close the Blackberry network last week after a Creative Futures senior management awayday at which users compared emails and discovered they were receiving messages not intended for them. The decision left around 300 BBC executives and programme makers frantically checking their ‘sent’ folders to make sure they had not inadvertently betrayed any confidences or criticised colleagues. Insiders said that while some of the rogue emails were potentially embarrassing, there were no serious leaks.”

Another interesting article from the TG Daily: “According to EFF attorneys, DOJ lawyers are ‘twisting’ existing laws such as CALEA and the Wiretap Act to obtain these warrants. Kevin Bankston, Staff Attorney with the EFF, says, ‘They are wholly misrepresenting the law. Some judges are calling them Hail Mary arguments.'”

The TG Daily writes “‘Dean Au, chief executive officer of AirMagnet, believes that Bluetooth devices will become a bigger target for hackers’ as the penetration of the technology grows. The software is able to provide a sense of security to users, he said: ‘BlueSweep gives Bluetooth users a way to know if their devices are vulnerable.'”

Here’s an interesting case of errors in an unchecked data-input process, discovered by the Michigan State Auditor General. The story appeared on The Register, which was kind enough to link to the original news story posted by WLNS.com:

“A flaw in computer programming caused State jails to release 8 prisoners anywhere from 39-161 days early, prisoners who were doing time for everything from embezzlement and drugs to bad check writing…A followup study by the Department of Corrections found 15 more prisoners who were either let out early or late.”

From there I found the actual audit document itself on the Michigan Office of the Auditor General, available as Report Number 47-591-04

As it turns out, Michigan’s Auditors are on a roll. A BNA report published earlier this year noted that Michigan voter and drivers’ license databases were improperly secured for seven years:

“The Michigan Auditor General found, in a report issued March 18, that the state’s security methods were not effective in protecting voting and driver’s license databases from potential hackers between 1997 and June 30, 2004 (Mich. Aud. Gen. Report No. 23-591-04)”