[IP] Just wait till we get automatic system upgardes over the net (mandatory) djf Report says "Government department wiped out by IT upgrade disaster"

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

from RISKS

Begin forwarded message:

te: Fri, 26 Nov 2004 10:23:00 -0500
From: "R.S. (Bob) Heuman" <rsh@idirect.com>
Subject: Report says "Government department wiped out by IT upgrade  
disaster"

This is from the United Kingdom, and I really have to wonder how anyone  
can
download an 'incompatible system' to 80,000 computers in this day and  
age.
It boggles the mind!  Recovery in a day is not shabby, either, if true.

The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has suffered what has been
described as the biggest computer crash in government history after a
software upgrade that is believed to have downloaded an incompatible  
system
throughout the entire DWP network.  The government department lost 80  
per
cent of its roughly 100,000 PCs following a "routine software upgrade",  
a
DWP spokeswoman confirmed today.  The problem lasted all of yesterday  
but
the "majority of our system is up and running now", she said.   
Microsoft and
EDS run the DWP's network as part of a 2-billion pound IT contract.  The
situation had apparently been largely rectified by the next day.
  [Source: Government department wiped out by IT upgrade disaster;
  Another massive computer cock-up, this time at Work and Pensions.
   
http://www.techworld.com/opsys/news/index.cfm? 
NewsID=2695&Page=1&pagePos=2
  By Laura Rohde, IDG News Service, 26 Nov 2004; PGN-ed]

R.S.(Bob) Heuman, Toronto, ON, Canada  Independent Computer Security  
Consulting
Web Site Auditing for Compliance with Standards  rheuman@rogers.com

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