Ryan Gauthier reports: For several weeks, a mound of city documents containing Social Security numbers, phone numbers and carbon copies of checks filled a Dumpster at Smith Park, where they were accessible to anyone. The Journal received a tip that led to the discovery of countless junked records containing personal information for Middletown residents, along…
Category: Government Sector
The DOJ Criminal Division’s Laptop Computer Encryption Program and Practices – Audit Report
From the summary of findings in The Criminal Division’s Laptop Computer Encryption Program and Practices, Audit Report 10-23, March 2010: Criminal Division-Owned Laptop Computers Our review found that of the 40 laptops we tested for encryption software, 10 did not have encryption, and 9 of those 10 did not have Windows passwords enabled. All of…
Navy took more than a year to announce personal data breach
The Washington Post seems to have jumped in on a breach first exposed by the Ventura County Star. Federal Diary reports: In case of danger or a natural disaster, the U.S. Navy can rapidly dispatch troops, fighter jets or relief supplies to troubled areas around the world. So why did it take the Navy 17…
Stolen council laptops contained sensitive information on pupils
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has found Warwickshire County Council in breach of the Data Protection Act (DPA) following the theft of two laptops and the loss of a memory stick. The laptops, which were unencrypted and not physically secured or locked away, were stolen from council offices. They held sensitive personal information relating to…
Personal details sent to the wrong family in data security breach
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has found The Highland Council to be in breach of the Data Protection Act after personal data relating to several members of one family was inadvertently disclosed to another unrelated individual. The data contained sensitive information including data relating to the physical and mental health of individuals. The incident occurred…
UK: Foster files left in street on unencrypted USB
Confidential information held by social services about children in care has been found on a pavement by a passer-by. Dozens of sensitive Stoke-on-Trent City Council documents were discovered on a memory stick left in Potteries Way, Hanley, yesterday. The social services records of foster carers, family court proceedings, parenting assessments, child custody arrangements and the…