万花筒2008-03-26:政府保密无能

Does the government do a good job in protecting your personal data? CNN's Jeanne Meserve reports.

Details of your medical history, and work record, financial transactions, your social security number, travel history, the kind of personal information entered into government databases.  

How often do prying¹ eyes look at it?   

It's a handful each year that we know about. Now, of course there is always possibility that there are some that you don’t know about. 

Very possible, a report card on government computer security, issued last year, failed the State Department and 7 other federal agencies, the government-wide grade, C-minus.  

Some agencies have made improving security a priority. The Veterans Administration was red-faced when personal information of more than 26 million beneficiaries was compromised in 2006.  

Now, all medical information in its files is encrypted and customized, thumb drives can only be read on authorized² computers. Other government agencies have privacy officers who are supposed to police the use and disclosure of personal information. 

Many agencies require employees and contractors³ undergo privacy training and sign privacy pledges. Many have computer systems designed to detect unauthorized snooping in files. Of course, the State Department had all these and still files were breached⁴. 

The fact that it happened to 3 of the highest-profile people in America shouldn't be taken as a, as an indicator⁵ this only happens to the powerful. It happens to ordinary Americans, it just doesn’t get the same sort of attention. 

And Steinhardt says if it happens to you, it is very likely, you will never find out. 

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington. 

WORDS IN THE NEWS     

1. report card : n-count

A report card is an official written account of how well or how badly a pupil has done during the term or year that has just finished. (AM; in BRIT, use report) 

2. Veterans Administration : (美国)退伍军人管理局

VA is an independent federal agency administering benefits and programs to veterans; it achieved cabinet‐level status as the Department of Veterans Affairs in 1988. Established by Congress in 1930, the VA absorbed three separate agencies: the Bureau of Pensions, established in 1833; the National Homes of Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, founded in 1866; and the Veteran's Bureau, created in 1921. 

3. red-faced : adj

A red-faced person has a face that looks red, often because they are embarrassed or angry. 

4. encrypt : verb

If a document or piece of information is encrypted, it is written in a special code, so that only certain people can read it.  

5. thumb drive : noun　可移动硬盘、U盘、闪盘

USB drive, A flash memory card that plugs into the computer's USB port. Small enough to hook onto a keychain, it emulates⁶ a small disk drive and allows data to be easily transferred from one machine to another. Also known as a "flash drive," "pen drive," "keychain drive," "key drive," "USB key," "USB stick" and "memory key," numerous brand names have also been coined such as Lexar's JumpDrive and Trek⁷ 2000 International's ThumbDrive.

1 prying   

adj.爱打听的v.打听，刺探（他人的私事）( pry的现在分词 )；撬开

参考例句：

• I'm sick of you prying into my personal life! 我讨厌你刺探我的私生活！
• She is always prying into other people's affairs. 她总是打听别人的私事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

3 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 breached   

攻破( breach的现在分词 )； 破坏，违反

参考例句：

• These commitments have already been breached. 这些承诺已遭背弃。
• Our tanks have breached the enemy defences. 我方坦克车突破了敌人的防线。

5 indicator   

n.指标；指示物，指示者；指示器

参考例句：

• Gold prices are often seen as an indicator of inflation.黃金价格常常被看作是通货膨胀的指标。
• His left-hand indicator is flashing.他左手边的转向灯正在闪亮。

6 emulates   

v.与…竞争( emulate的第三人称单数 )；努力赶上；计算机程序等仿真；模仿

参考例句：

• A device or computer program that emulates. 一种可以进行仿真的设备或计算机程序。 来自辞典例句
• Sleep Timer Emulates the time found in most TVs. 睡眠计时器模拟时发现，大多数电视。 来自互联网

7 trek   

vi.作长途艰辛的旅行；n.长途艰苦的旅行

参考例句：

• We often go pony-trek in the summer.夏季我们经常骑马旅行。
• It took us the whole day to trek across the rocky terrain.我们花了一整天的时间艰难地穿过那片遍布岩石的地带。