Repairman suspected of stealing photo from PM’s computer
Police investigating possible theft of state secrets - no security risk, says government
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Police in Helsinki suspect that a computer repairman believed to have illegally copied a private photograph from the computer of Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre), may also have had access to state secrets.
“We are looking into that, and in that respect we are considering this as a fairly serious matter, and are committing resources to the investigation. Currently we are checking to see if anything has been taken”, says Inspector Ilkka Koskimäki of the Helsinki police.
The magazine 7 päivää, which largely focuses on celebrity gossip, reported on Thursday that in 2007, a computer repairman who had been called in to fix problems that the Prime Minister was having with his computer, had copied a photograph of a personal nature from the e-mail inbox in which Vanhanen and National Coalition Party MP Merikukka Forsius were shown together.
The police began to investigate the suspected case of aggravated violation of communications privacy in late December.
The Prime Minister’s Office issued a brief press release on the matter on Thursday, according to which the suspect is an employee of a company which provides computer support services for the government. The statement said that several of Vanhanen’s e-mail messages had been opened.
Head of security Timo Härkönen says that there was no separate supervision of the maintenance work.
“Normally the user of a machine is present when it is fixed. This time this was not the case.”
Härkönen noted that government ministers do not discuss confidential matters of foreign affairs or defence in their e-mail.
“The Prime Minister knows such matters cannot be handled by e-mail. He uses other mechanism in these matters.”
Härkönen added that data security instructions are clear.
“Ministers have been told that when you send an e-mail, it is like sending a post card. It can be read by people other than for whom it is intended.”
The employee in question had undergone a security evaluation. Härkönen does not know of any other similar cases involving the government or the state administration.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 22.1.2010 - TODAY |
 Repairman suspected of stealing photo from PM’s computer |
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