I found something interesting in this article...lots of extraneous info unnecessary to the story:
"The information does relate to Northern Ireland. But it does not contain anything about possible IRA or breakaway terrorists' plans to resume bombing campaigns on the mainland if the peace process breaks down.
"It does not contain any information about any suspected terrorist who may be living in Britain."
Message????? -loki ---------------------------------- Thief Grabs MI5
Laptop Loaded With Secrets
By John Kay - Chief Reporter, The Sun (UK)
http://www.the-sun.co.uk/news/5120623
A huge security alert was under way last night after a
thief snatched an MI5 spy's laptop computer - crammed
with some of Britain's most sensitive secrets.
It was nicked from beside the bungling agent's feet at
London's Paddington Station.
He had put the £2,000 computer down as he bought a
ticket.
The frantic spy yelled "Stop Thief!" as he chased the
crook who had pinched his MI5 computer across the
busy station.
The red-faced intelligence agent bawled desperately to
cops to help him as he dashed after the agile robber.
Two bobbies on duty at Paddington scrambled to join in
the crazy race through crowds of amazed Tube
travellers. But the thief - who had snatched a £2,000
laptop crammed with Government secrets - nimbly
dodged and twisted as his three pursuers tried to
converge on him.
In seconds, with commuters and families staring
open-mouthed and stumbling out of his way, he sprinted
into a warren of walkways and vanished.
The laptop was full of dossiers on Northern Ireland and
other sensitive issues.
Last night a massive hunt was under way to recover the
computer as MI5 squirmed with embarrassment over the
latest astonishing security blunder.
A squad of 150 Special Branch and police officers was
trying to locate the computer which was being carried by
a middle-ranking operative of MI5, the Government's
home intelligence service.
Officials insisted the material stored on the laptop was so
well encrypted, or coded, that nobody could access or
make use of it.
But other experts claimed the code COULD be cracked
and feared the secrets would no longer be safe.
And a senior security source admitted: "The theft is
extremely regrettable. We want the laptop back."
MI5 director general Stephen Lander has given a full
report on the incident to Home Secretary Jack Straw.
And Mr Straw in turn has briefed PM Tony Blair, overall
head of security services.
Last night a Government source insisted: "There is
nothing in the laptop which threatens national security.
"The information does relate to Northern Ireland. But it
does not contain anything about possible IRA or
breakaway terrorists' plans to resume bombing campaigns
on the mainland if the peace process breaks down.
"It does not contain any information about any suspected
terrorist who may be living in Britain."
The source went on: "We can confirm that the laptop has
been stolen but it was extremely well encrypted and we
do not believe that it can be accessed."
The incident is a huge embarrassment for MI5 which has
the twin aims of fighting terrorism and drugs. Its
counterpart MI6, with its latter-day James Bonds, is
responsible for all overseas security matters.
The theft is regarded as the biggest security breach since
a laptop computer was stolen from an RAF officer just
before the start of the Gulf War. One police source said:
"There is a tremendous flap on about this."
A security source added: "We do not believe that the
thief deliberately targeted the operative, rather that it was
just a spur-of-the moment theft.
"There may be criticism of why an employee of the
security services was travelling on the Underground with
a laptop. But personnel have to get about and we are
convinced that the laptop is fail-safe and cannot be
accessed by any unauthorised person." Last night
security expert Chris Dobson, author of many books on
spies and terrorism, challenged that claim.
He said: "In the Second World War, the Germans
thought their Enigma code system could not be cracked.
But our codebreakers did crack it and that turned the
course of the war.
"And Israel's Weizmann scientific institute has declared it
could crack the security code of the European banking
system in one second."
Mr Dobson said the laptop may contain sensitive material
about the Ulster peace process. He said: "In many ways
this intelligence is far more significant than information
about possible terrorists' plans and their whereabouts.
"It may well be an assessment of how MI5 thinks Sinn
Fein and the IRA are going to react. It might contain
information about who we are watching and who is doing
it.
"This sort of information would be a priceless
ace-in-the-hole for someone like Sinn Fein president
Gerry Adams. There is no doubt MI5 are watching
Northern Ireland very closely. Only a few months ago
there was a big row when Mr Adams claimed his car had
been bugged by the British security services."
Mr Dobson added: "Each laptop probably holds the
equivalent of about two big packing cases full of written
information.
"There is no way MI5 would ever let written material out
of its HQ so what are its boys doing riding about the
Tube network with the nat-ion's secrets in their laptops?"
Mr Dobson said that all MI5 laptops should be fitted with
bleepers which would make them easy to track or
self-destruct triggers.
He said: "The case should have been fitted with a device
which made it explode or cover the thief in indelible dye
if he opened it.
"I am afraid this is another major humiliation for MI5."
The theft is the most embarrassing security breach since
a laptop was nicked from RAF man David Farquhar ten
years ago.
The Wing Commander lost his job after the computer
containing secrets of the Allies' Gulf War plans was
swiped from his official car.
Farquhar, who was a senior aide to joint
commander-in-chief Sir Patrick Hine, had stopped his
Vauxhall to visit a car showroom in Acton, West London.
A thief smashed windows and pinched the laptop and
two briefcases.
Farquhar, then 42, was found guilty of negligence by a
court-martial which heard he had been tired and stressed.
He said at the time: "I will regret this incident until my
dying day."
