John Dunne reports: An urgent investigation has been launched after dozens of confidential social services files were found at an abandoned town hall in London. The documents, including highly sensitive reports on parents turned down for adoption and the case notes on the Victoria Climbié case, were left on shelves and tables on public view…
Category: Government Sector
Kent County Council sends sensitive adoption details to wrong party
Sending sensitive adoption details to the wrong e-mail address is bad. Misdirecting them to an employee of the BBC is sure to get media coverage. BBC reports that’s what happened with the Kent County Council, who are now investigating how a BBC employee was sent such sensitive information.
NC: Laptops stolen from Robeson elections board contained personal info of 71,000 voters
Ali Rockett reports that 71,000 registered voters were notified by letter dated September 12 that five laptops containing their personal information were stolen from the Robeson County Board of Elections sometime between July 18 and September 4. The unencrypted laptops had been kept in a padlocked room, but were removed during a time that a…
Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross recipients’ Social Security numbers exposed on contractor’s server
Joe Gould reports: A defense contractor’s data breach left vulnerable the Army’s most highly decorated soldiers when a comprehensive awards database — including Social Security numbers — was available online, Army Times has learned. The exposed database contains 31 Social Security numbers for six MoH recipients — including former Staff Sgt. Sal Giunta and Sgt….
NZ: IRD says sorry for privacy breach
Inland Revenue has apologised after personal details for just under 30 customers were incorrectly released. Deputy Commissioner Service Delivery Arlene White said a preliminary internal investigation indicated last week’s incident may have been caused by a manual handling error. “We have contacted the recipient of this information and our highest priority is the return…
UK: Crown Prosecution Service grovels after leaking IDs of hundreds arrested during student riots
Jane Fae Ozimek reports: A botched response to a Freedom Of Information Act request could be about to cost the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dear. Prosecutors have issued grovelling apologies after revealing the identities of over a hundred people who were arrested during the tuition-fee riots but subsequently released without charge. […] The CPS provided…