John Leyden reports: Basic design flaws on a Labour party members forum exposed the email addresses of users to harvesting. Surfers who register through the site http://members.labour.org.uk were invited to confirm their membership, and activate their account, by clicking on the link in an email sent to a specified account. The email follows the form…
Category: Government Sector
UK: Councils fined for unencrypted laptop theft
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) today served Ealing Council and Hounslow Council with monetary penalties for serious breaches of the Data Protection Act after the loss of two unencrypted laptops containing sensitive personal information. Ealing Council provides an out of hours service on behalf of both councils, which is operated by nine staff who work…
Thousands of Medi-Cal records of San Franciscans breached
Brent Begin reports: About 2,400 Medi-Cal recipients in San Francisco had their names, Social Security numbers and other identifying information breached as part of an employee dispute at Human Services Agency of San Francisco, officials said. A former city employee, considering legal action against The City after being fired from the agency that disperses welfare…
UK: Tayside Police officer admits leaking sensitive data
A police officer has admitted leaking sensitive information to her lover who then tipped off a suspect in a criminal investigation. Police constable Karen Howie, 34, who is married to another officer, has since resigned from Tayside Police. She admitted two charges of perverting the course of justice at Dundee Sheriff Court. Her co-accused, Neil…
FL: FBI to investigate Lake Wales fraud case
Phil Attinger reports: Lake Wales police have turned their city bank account fraud investigation over to the FBI. Sgt. Mark Stroup, chief local investigator on the case, said the Lake Wales Police Department made the decision last week to have the Federal Bureau of Investigations take the lead in the case, in light of the…
NSW officer charged with unauthorised computer access
From AAP: A NSW Police officer has been charged over what police describe as “unauthorised computer access”. The offence allegedly occurred in August last year and involves an officer who was part of the North West Metropolitan Region. The constable has been served with a court attendance notice and is expected to appear at Parramatta…