In an article that requires a subscription for full access, Bert Caldwell of The Spokesman Review reports that the Washington Department of Labor and Industries web site was shut down for several hours yesterday after a contractor realized his Social Security number was exposed and contacted them. A spokesperson said that the problem was a…
Category: Government Sector
EU leaders’ passport numbers and medical info found on public computer in Prague
The Helsinki Times reports that a publicly available computer at a Prague hotel contained the passport numbers and itineraries of about 200 leaders from EU member states who gathered there April 5 for an EU-US summit. The breach has been attributed to human error. The breach was discovered by a Finnish tourist who used the…
FL: Fired Hernando County deputy charged with identity theft over e-mails
Joel Anderson reports: The e-mails referred to one of the highest-ranking officers at the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office as “racist.” They alleged discriminatory treatment against some of the deputies. They were supposedly coming from Sgt. George Smith. However, the e-mails were all the work of an online thief, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Former Deputy…
(Follow-up) UK: ICO takes enforcement action against the British Council for serious data breach
As a follow-up to an incident reported in January: The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has found the British Council in breach of the Data Protection Act after the loss of an unencrypted computer disc. Details lost include sensitive personal information relating to trade union membership of over 2,000 members of staff. The British Council reported…
Bits ‘n Pieces
In the justice system: Atin Singh, charged with stealing customer data from Roti Bistro where he worked, pleaded no contest to five felonies. More. Joseph A. Radican was sentenced to 18 months probation after pleading guilty in the theft of three computers from the Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center in 2008 (previous coverage here). The…
Ca: Breach of Confidentiality?
saskatoonhomepage.ca reports that a man who bought surplus boxes from Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) discovered that the boxes were not empty. They contained some insurance files with personal information. The agency is investigating and the privacy commissioner has been notifed.