David Leask reports: Dozens of Scottish police officers are under criminal investigation in a clampdown on data breaches involving the force computer system. A total of 43 officers have been put on to restricted duties and another officer has been suspended, solely because of allegations of illegally accessing confidential information. Read more on Herald Scotland….
Category: Non-U.S.
Ca: 6,000 former high school students’ information exposed
Laura Cudworth reports: About 6,000 former high school students had personal information compromised after a staff member at the Avon Maitland District School Board transferred the files electronically. The board was alerted to the security breach, which lasted about five weeks, when a former student did a search of her own name and was able…
NL: Vodafone blunders by publishing thousands of secret phone numbers
Phone firm Vodafone has admitted publishing the phone numbers and addresses of thousands of people who wanted to be ex-directory – by mistake. The company blames both technical and human failings for the fact that over 90,000 numbers have been inclued (sic) in paper and electronic phone books, and included in number information service listings….
How to avoid a €100 million data fine in Europe
Jennifer Baker reports: A law approved by the European Parliament on Wednesday and aimed at protecting citizens’ privacy comes with sweeping penalties for breaches—up to €100 million (US$139 million) or 5 percent of global annual turnover, whichever is larger. The European Data Protection Regulation will apply not only to European companies, but any company that…
BT E-Mail System Investigated by U.K. Regulator on Data Security
Amy Thomson reports on a situation first reported by The Register yesterday: BT Group Plc (BT/A) is being investigated by a U.K. data security regulator after a whistle-blower said the way it handled data when switching users to a new e-mail system may have exposed customer information. The Information Commissioner’s Office was contacted by someone who…
Asylum data breach: Immigration Department sends apology letter
Oliver Laughland provides the update: The Department of Immigration is writing to asylum seekers detained across Australia to inform them their personal details were publicly disclosed in a massive data breach, with sources alleging the department is coercing them to sign for receipt of the letter. In February Guardian Australia revealed almost 10,000 asylum seekers had…