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Sophos is an American security company based in the USA working in partnership with UK government departments to create CyberStreetwise, an organisation and associated website aimed at campaigning to increase public and business awareness of cyber crime and the security risks faced by us all when we are on line and accessing the internet and our emails.
As part of the HM Government ‘Cyberstreetwise’ Campaign Adverts on the London Underground, business is being educated about the safe and secure use of Passwords to maintain the security of the computer systems. Whilst it may come as no surprise to many who are fully ware of the Tory-led coalition government’s disdain for anything to do with Trade Unions, the CWU; having been heavily involved with Government departments via its dangerous dogs campaign, was quite shocked to learn of the Cyberstreetwise campaign adverts which are using examples of passwords which are in extremely poor taste, trivialising and poking fun at dog attacks on Postmen.
The CWU’s National Health, Safety & Environment Officer, Dave Joyce has written to Lord de Mauley Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), expressing the Union’s shock at the campaign posters which are all over the London Underground as part of the Government’s poster campaign. In his letter, Dave states: As you will know from our several past meetings and correspondence in the run up to the introduction of the revised dangerous dogs legislation, over 3,000 Postal Workers are attacked and injured by dogs every year. The highest number recorded was 2007/2008 when 6,500 attacks occurred and two Postmen were nearly killed. Hence the CWU ‘Bite-Back’ Campaign and the eventual positive response of government with significant changes to Dangerous Dogs Law in order to clamp down on irresponsible dog ownership and hold those responsible to account via the extended legislation, tougher court penalties and Community Protection Control Notices. We, government, CWU, Royal Mail, enforcers and all stakeholder organisations and experts now need to turn attention towards education, training, encouraging responsible ownership, enforcement and prevention. We look forward to participating in that process as the organisation representing the UK's largest number of victims.
They are terrifying, painful and injurious experiences for thousands of victim Postal Workers who suffer both physical and psychological injuries, some of which are severely disabling and disfiguring. In many cases the victims never fully recover. Some are unable to continue as a Postal delivery worker. It therefore came as quite a shock and unwelcome surprise to see the HM Government ‘Cyberstreetwise’ Campaign Adverts on the London Underground, advising Businesses on Passwords by using examples which are in extremely poor taste, trivialising and poking fun at dog attacks on Postmen, e.g. a “Cyber Unwise” (Blue background) Password, it suggests, would be “Rover” and a “Cyber Streetwise” recommended Password (Orange background) would be “dogPostm@nD1nner”. Dave’s letter can be downloaded in full by clicking on the picture to the right, but it goes without saying that the remainder of the letter is blunt in its condemnation of the Cyberstreetwise poster campaign. Dave and concludes: “For a Government advert to display publicly "DogPostmanD1nner" as a "Strong Password" to use is in itself totally irresponsible and insulting to thousands of Postal workers apart from encouraging dog owners to think that if their dog bites the postman or woman it's not serious - it’s funny. I would urge a re-think on these adverts and request they be withdrawn and replaced at the earliest opportunity.” It may be worthwhile for all those concerned about this trivialisation of the safety health and welfare of postal workers, to contact their MP and express their concerns about this hugely damaging poster campaign that will simply promote a trivial attitude in the eyes of business and the general public towards the horrors of being attacked by a dangerous dog and the injuries and deaths which can and have resulted. Source: Derek Maylor / Dave Joyce |
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This is exemplified by the image to the left, consisting of a “Cyber Unwise” password, it suggests would be “Rover” and a “Cyber Streetwise” recommended Password being “dogPostm@nD1nner”!