Website error reveals UK Nuclear Submarine Secrets

13579

http://bfbs.com/news/uk/website-error-reveals-uk-nuclear-submarine-secrets-46774.html

They included expert opinion about the fleet's ability to withstand a catastrophic accident and details of measures used by the US Navy to protect its own nuclear submarines.

The document – compiled by Commodore Andrew McFarlane, head of the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator - was an assessment of options for the reactors in future submarines to replace the Trident fleet.

Patrick Mercer - the Conservative MP who served in the Army - said the information would be "hugely interesting" to Britain's enemies, calling the error "potentially catastrophic".

The technical error was discovered by a journalist working for the Daily Star newspaper.

An MOD spokesman said: "The MOD is grateful to the journalist for bringing this matter to our attention.

"As soon as we were told about this, we took steps to ensure the document was removed from the public domain and replaced by a properly redacted version.

“We take nuclear security very seriously and we are doing everything possible to prevent a recurrence of this."

Apparently doing everything possible isn't enough, as the classified details are available on cryptome (The text in the red is the classified bit).

What incompetence.

Dfg

Save Save Save!

This is why I love Totse

Mayberry

Are there any launch codes?

13579

Dfg wrote: »

Save Save Save!

This is why I love Totse

Whenever I find stuff like this, you guys are the first I think of to share it with.

Mayberry wrote: »

Are there any launch codes?

Details on what kind of structural failure is needed on certain UK submarines, details on the vulnerabilities of the depth control and LOCA (Loss of Coolant Accident), among other things.

RemadE

So how did they slip out? Seems a bit strange to me...

buddha

RemadE wrote: »

So how did they slip out? Seems a bit strange to me...

A classified government report into the subs’ vulnerabilities has been published online with key parts blacked out to prevent sensitive material getting into the wrong hands. But a massive blunder has meant anyone with basic computer knowledge could reverse the censorship – and read every word of the previously “restricted” report. It reveals how easy it would be to cause a Fukushima-style reactor meltdown in a sub and details the capabilities of US vessels. Much of the most revealing information, entire pages in some cases, was blacked out to prevent the secrets from getting into the wrong hands. But in what was described as “a schoolboy error” the technique used by MoD staff to censor the document was easy to reverse. The bunglers turned the text background black – making the words unreadable – but crucially left them in place. That meant anyone wanting to read the censored sections just had to copy the text.

two

Slave of the Beast

RemadE wrote: »

So how did they slip out? Seems a bit strange to me...

I suspect many people work in the public sector because they aren't good enough to work in the private.

As a result incompetency is a common problem.

bornkiller

Haha! Who needs wikileaks?

thewanderer

Dfg wrote: »

Save Save Save!

This This This!

Awesome find, 13579.

JustAnotherAsshole

buddha wrote: »

A classified government report into the subs’ vulnerabilities has been published online with key parts blacked out to prevent sensitive material getting into the wrong hands. But a massive blunder has meant anyone with basic computer knowledge could reverse the censorship – and read every word of the previously “restricted” report. It reveals how easy it would be to cause a Fukushima-style reactor meltdown in a sub and details the capabilities of US vessels. Much of the most revealing information, entire pages in some cases, was blacked out to prevent the secrets from getting into the wrong hands. But in what was described as “a schoolboy error” the technique used by MoD staff to censor the document was easy to reverse. The bunglers turned the text background black – making the words unreadable – but crucially left them in place. That meant anyone wanting to read the censored sections just had to copy the text.

two

:facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm:

dr rocker

Slave of the Beast wrote: »

I suspect many people work in the public sector because they aren't good enough to work in the private.

As a result incompetency is a common problem.

Too right. I came across a powerpoint of some software that had peoples details removed by placing objects across them.

kfc v lot

Ahhh good old British incompetence

IF that's one thing our nation should be known for it's incompetence I stopped reading private eye after I realised just how incompetent the country is..

RemadE

Private Eye ftw!