A social care charity has been served a monetary penalty of £70,000 after highly sensitive information about the care of four young children was lost after being left outside a London home, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) announced today. A social worker, who worked for Norwood Ravenswood Ltd, left the detailed reports at the side of the…
Despite thefts, no new Medicare IDs
Kelly Kennedy reports: More than a quarter-million Medicare beneficiaries are victims of identity theft and hampered in getting health care benefits because the government won’t issue new IDs, according to an investigation report released today. Medicare officials say it’s too expensive and too many agencies are involved to reissue those numbers to patients victimized by…
Parental notification before abortion ruled constitutional by Alaska judge
Lisa Demer reports: An Anchorage Superior Court judge has upheld as constitutional a state law requiring parents to be notified before a teen’s abortion. But the issue may not be resolved. Both sides expect it will wind up before the state Supreme Court. Judge John Suddock, in a 65-page decision issued Monday, said the legal…
Roseville cancer patient says TSA violated privacy
The situation described below is just so distressing that I don’t even know where to begin. Doug Esser of Associated Press reports: A Michigan woman dying of leukemia said she hopes her embarrassing experience at a Seattle airport changes the way the Transportation Security Administration treats travelers with medical conditions. A TSA spokeswoman said…
UK: ICO seeks to justify heavy data breach fines against NHS bodies following criticism
There has always been some level of concern and criticism that when NHS bodies are fined, the fines will reduce the funds available for patient care. An article on Out-Law.com addresses this controversy: The UK’s data protection watchdog has defended its civil monetary penalty regime after it was criticised for the amounts of fines levied…
KS: Salina businesses see high number of computer thefts
Last month I tweeted about a rash of burglaries where thieves were stealing computers from Salina, Kansas businesses. Samantha Anderson reports that there have been more burglaries since then: Two businesses had computer or computer parts stolen over the weekend. One of those businesses was American Family Insurance. […] Other businesses hit in the last…