Covering up After a burglary at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate apartment complex in Washington, D.C., in 1972, President Richard Nixon, instead of turning in the members of his staff who conceived and executed the break-in, sought to protect them and cover up his own involvement. A “smoking gun” tape later revealed his role and led to his impeachment and subsequent resignation on Aug. 9, 1974. Bad intelligence President John F. Kennedy approved a secret, underfunded and ill-conceived plan to overthrow the government of Cuban President Fidel Castro in 1961. The scheme assumed that when U.S.-trained Cuban exiles landed in the Bay of Pigs in Southwest Cuba they would be supported and joined by thousands of freedom-loving Cubans. They weren’t, and the invasion failed ignominiously. Poor diligence Information broker ChoicePoint sold the personal information of 145,000 people to inadequately vetted bogus businesses. As a consequence, many people later became victims of identity theft. ChoicePoint will pay $15 million to settle charges it failed to protect consumers’ information, the Federal Trade Commission announced in January 2006. Failed processes A laptop containing sensitive personal information on 26.5 million U.S. veterans was stolen May 3 from the suburban Maryland residence of a Veteran’s Administration data analyst who wanted to work at home but did not have remote access to the VA’s system. News of the theft was kept under wraps for 19 days. A week later, Michael H. McLendon, VA deputy assistant secretary for policy, announced his resignation. Related content feature Gen AI success starts with an effective pilot strategy To harness the promise of generative AI, IT leaders must develop processes for identifying use cases, educate employees, and get the tech (safely) into their hands. By Bob Violino Sep 27, 2023 10 mins Generative AI Innovation Emerging Technology feature A fluency in business and tech yields success at NATO Manfred Boudreaux-Dehmer speaks with Lee Rennick, host of CIO Leadership Live, Canada, about innovation in technology, leadership across a vast cultural landscape, and what it means to hold the inaugural CIO role at NATO. By CIO staff Sep 27, 2023 6 mins CIO IT Skills Innovation feature The demand for new skills: How can CIOs optimize their team? By Andrea Benito Sep 27, 2023 3 mins opinion The CIO event of the year: What to expect at CIO100 ASEAN Awards By Shirin Robert Sep 26, 2023 3 mins IDG Events IT Leadership Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe