If there’s one thing I really hate to see, it’s reports of confidential records blowing in the wind or exposed because medical professionals or lawyers haven’t taken proper steps to securely dispose of them. Here’s another lawyer one, from WAFB: Below the interstate at Dalrymple and along the sidewalk, there are documents strewn about with…
Category: Exposure
TX: Tarleton State University officials investigate privacy breach
Micah Moore reports: Hundreds of Tarleton State University documents containing students’ personal information were scattered across the intersection of Washington and Lillian streets Tuesday afternoon breaching a federal law that is supposed to protect student records. The financial aid documents from 1997-98 contained the social security number, date of birth, federal PELL grant disbursements and…
IL: Court documents left in plain view
From the aw-c’mon-already-folks dept., Cynthia M. Ellis reports: Officials said they are changing how they dispose of public records after court documents were found in a recycling bin earlier this week behind the Madison County Wood River Facility. A Telegraph reporter received information Monday night about files found in an open bin behind the county…
Oops x 2: lack of logs confounds thorough breach investigation
The Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation realized that employee information – including SSN and financial information – was improperly accessible to other employees on its intranet. But its lack of adequate logging procedures made it impossible for them to determine who may have accessed the data, they report to the New Hampshire Attorney General.
UK: Man claims hard drive bought at car boot sale contained personal data from West Cheshire College
Carmella de Lucia reports: A computer hard drive allegedly loaded with more than 50,000 personal details of students and tutors from West Cheshire College was sold at a hospital car boot sale. The discovery was made by a shocked Pioneer reader who bought the second-hand computer tower and hard drive for £5 from a sale…
UK: Charity apologizes after confidential files found
From BBC: The Information Commissioner’s office says it has been informed about the serious data protection breach involving a helpline charity in Derry. Contact NI, which runs the Lifeline service, confirmed the identities of up to 20 people who contacted the service were clearly visible on some of the confidential documents that were found in…