to see the statistical breakdown of Point of Sales or database vendors that were used at the time of data theft.

Brilliant! Nick each of them for 1 quid and retire to Brazil! They might not even notice. But can you nick each and every one? In fact, I suspect that it might take more than several lifetimes to nick less than 10 MIDs unless the task can be spread out over several accomplices or (best yet!) automated.

In america identities are still stolen, here in the UK they're simply given away - or 'lost'

Once again we are shown that the US is way ahead of us. We can only lose data from government agencies but in the Land of the Free(tm) it's commerce that sets the standard. We need this clear example of free enterprise to illustrate how backward we are here in the U.K. with releasing data back in to the wild, to realise its true financial potential.

We are so incompetent we have to leave our data on trains and on machines sold through E-bay, where are our enterprising young businessmen who work tirelessly to extract as much value from dodgy security? Do we have to leave it to the confines of government?

has anyone used google to search for "room 641A" recently?