Police Officers At Severe Risk As Personal Data Exposed

Uploaded on 2023-08-11 in GOVERNMENT-Law Enforcement, FREE TO VIEW

Northern Ireland police officers and staff have become very vulnerable after a massive data breach published their personal details including their surnames, rank, location and private addresses.

The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has launched an investigation into this apparent accidental data breach. This is the worst data breach in the ICO’s history and it has published details of more than 10k police officers and staff in Northern Ireland.

Chief Constable Simon Byrne has cut his family holiday short to attend the emergency Policing Board meeting following the force’s devastating data breach, where he will have questions about the breach. The force also said it has declared the breach a “critical incident”.

The agency, which regulates data privacy laws, is working with the Police Service to establish the level of risk amid warnings that the leak may compel officers to leave the force or move their home address.

“People have the right to expect that their personal information is kept safe and not disclosed when it shouldn't be. This incident raises serious concerns as it shows how even the smallest of human errors can have major consequences,’ said the ICO statement.

“We recognise the potential impact on the people and families affected by this breach, and we expect appropriate action to be taken by the Police Service of Northern Ireland as a matter of urgency.

“This incident raises serious concerns as it shows how even the smallest of human errors can have major consequences,” the statement says. “The incident demonstrates just how important it is to have robust measures in place to protect personal information, especially in a sensitive environment.”

Political leaders and police representatives in the region are grappling with the security and financial implications of an error that could expose officers, including those who work undercover, to terrorist intimidation and attack.

Officers were frightened and their friends and family were in “jeopardy”, said Naomi Long, the leader of the Alliance party who served as justice minister from 2020 to 2022. She said it would be all but impossible to eradicate the digital footprint of the data breach, which gave the rank and grade data of all employees at the PSNI, including surnames, initials and what department they worked in.

The debacle comes as Northern Ireland is facing a budgetary and political crisis. The region’s power-sharing executive and assembly have been paralysed for more than a year in a row over Brexit.

The Guardian: ICO: BBC: Belfast Telegraph: Financial Times: BBC: Sky

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