Barb Pacholik reports:
While snooping in SGI’s database earned a Highways Ministry traffic officer a suspension, the province’s privacy watchdog wants a longterm plan to prevent such breaches.
“We take this very seriously. This is not acceptable behaviour. That’s why the individual was suspended for 20 days without pay,” Highways Minister Don McMorris told reporters Thursday. “All the ministry staff and especially in that department were sent the guidelines again to make sure they understand what is acceptable and what isn’t. This individual no longer has access to that database … Strong steps were taken.”
The minister was reacting to Saskatchewan Privacy Commissioner Gary Dickson’s 35-page report taking the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure (MHI) to task for its handling of the unauthorized check.
[…]
Dickson’s concerns ranged from MHI leaving SGI to issue an apology to the driver, to the ministry’s lack of a long-term strategy, such as audits, to prevent similar breaches.
“It is reassuring that employees who have misused their privileges must complete privacy training and make written application to their supervisors to have their privileges reinstated,” Dickson said in the report. “However, without auditing capabilities, MHI did not provide my office with evidence that it has sufficient measures to prevent and detect employee misuse.”
Read more on Leader-Post.