Sakari Aalto discusses findings from a survey conducted by Finland’s Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman. The survey, carried out at the end of 2012, surveyed 74 companies and organizations that had experienced data security breaches during October – December 2011. Aalto writes, in part: In an alarmingly large proportion of companies (30%), the security…
Category: Non-U.S.
UK: Payday loans firm loses licence over identity theft loans
We don’t see this too often, but lack of adequate security costs this business its business, and the consequences were imposed by a regulator. Out-Law.com reports: MCO Capital Limited made loans in the name of 7,000 people whose identity was used by fraudsters without their permission or knowledge. The loans totalled millions of pounds and…
Montreal Police officers’ and undercover agents’ information dumped on Dropbox
Laura Casella reports: There has been an apparent security breach at the Montreal police department. Hackers have released a large amount of confidential files. […] The files are filled with personal information about the SPVM [Service de police de la Ville de Montréal]. What looks to be the most worrisome is a file containing the…
EE: Former Police Official Found Guilty of Leaking Personal Data
Meanwhile, in Estonia: On Tuesday, Harju County Court found Alice Järvet, a former head of the analysis and planning bureau, guilty of leaking information from a police database. Järvet was fined 9,398 euros and was suspended from police work for three years, court spokeswoman Kristina Ots told uudised.err.ee. In January, the public prosecutor made a…
Attacks ‘highlight need for data breach notification law’
Paul Smith reports: The Australian Bankers Association has defended the strength of IT security processes in place across Australia’s banking system following the revelation that Reserve Bank of Australia systems had been compromised by China-based hackers. However, security experts said the incident highlighted the need for Australian data breach notification laws to be tightened to force…
IE: Insurer ordered to pay costs in data breach case
Insurance company FBD has been ordered to pay High Court costs to a man following a case in which he claimed his data protection rights had been breached. The High Court last week vacated the Circuit Court award of €15,000 in damages to Michael Collins in March 2012 but did rule that there had been…