Elaine Edwards reports: The Data Protection Commissioner considered telling organisations to stop allowing information such as mothers’ maiden names to be used for security questions after millions of personal records were published on a government genealogy site last year. In July last year, then commissioner Billy Hawkes threatened to take enforcement action against the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht after…
Category: Non-U.S.
AU: WA prison officer fined for snooping
A senior prison officer who used a work computer to obtain information about prisoners involved in a drugs syndicate “out of curiosity” has been fined $5000. Read about it on news.com.au.
NZ: Email outs vulnerable students
The New Zealand Herald reports: Vulnerable university students had their privacy breached in an email asking them to rate their experiences with counselling services. Dozens of Massey University students’ email addresses and names were visible in the message sent last month, in what the Privacy Commissioner’s office said was a breach of private information. A…
Privacy breach no more: Eastern Health finds missing USB in file folder
CBC News reports: Eastern Health says it’s found the missing USB flash drive containing thousands of employees’ personal information — it was in a file folder in the Human Resources department the whole time. The health authority reported a privacy breach June 19 when a drive containing sensitive information of 9,000 employees went missing. Read…
UK: Brunel University London signs undertaking to provide staff training in data protection
Brunel University London agreed to sign an undertaking with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) after an incident involving the loss of 10 boxes with seven personnel files and 61 Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) [TUPE] files. According to the undertaking, the incident occurred following an office renovation to remove asbestos. Brunel University London staff members…
UAE banks replace credit cards after security scare
Joseph George reports Several credit cards are being replaced across the UAE by some banks following a possible security beach involving online hackers. ‘Emirates24|7’ has learnt of at least two banks that have issued warnings to their customers and blocked their cards in order to issue replacement cards. […]Last month, local media had reported…