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PC resigns over Norfolk Police data breach

Former PC Sarah Corner has resigned a week before a hearing over the Norfolk Police data breach she was embroiled in.

The 24-year-old was due to face a gross misconduct hearing last month following allegations of a serious data breach. Ms Corner was investigated for illegally obtaining information from a police computer. This is a monumental breach of data protection.

Although she resigned prior to the hearing, she would have been dismissed in any event. With the wealth of data that police hold, any police data breach can be a serious one.

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Cleveland Police data breach

The Cleveland Police data breach was another example of a preventable public sector data breach that should never have happened in the first place.

As a result of what’s being classed as a “human error” incident, the personal details of 1,661 people were leaked online. As part of the police’s procedures for disclosing data about “use of force”, information was put online that was accidentally not redacted. What should have been generic information about people who had been restrained by the police between April and June this year instead disclosed far more information.

Anyone affected by the Cleveland Police data breach may be eligible to pursue legal action.

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Signed undertaking over Humberside police data breach

A signed undertaking has come into force over a Humberside police data breach that involved incredibly sensitive notes for an alleged rape.

In October 2016, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) was informed about the loss of interview disks and written notes about an alleged rape. The disks were reportedly created after an interview had been conducted with another force, and the disks were not encrypted or even password-protected.

The loss of sensitive police data that wasn’t even encrypted and protected is inexcusable.

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Gloucestershire police data breach fine

The 2016 Gloucestershire police data breach has led to a fine imposed by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the sum of £80,000.00.

The incident that took place on 19 December 2016 involved a Gloucestershire police offer sending an update to 56 individuals in respect of allegations of abuse. The officer inadvertently placed the email addresses of the recipients into the “To” field instead of the “BCC” field, resulting in the identities of the recipients being revealed to one another.

The email itself is thought to have revealed information about schools and other organisations being investigated as part of the allegations.

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Police force blasted over data security failures

A police force has been blasted over data security failures by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) after a “damning report” from the body responsible for overseeing the police in Scotland.

The ICO has reportedly demanded immediate action following an audit that has been described as “highly critical” with “urgent recommendations”.

It’s understood that the security of personal data, staff training and awareness, and data sharing are the areas of focus after investigations were undertaken to look into data security failures by the police.

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Gwent Police to be investigated over “hiding” data protection breach

Worryingly, the police occupy one of the top spots in terms of organisations at the centre of data breaches, data leaks and hacks. Victims whose data is compromised in a data protection breach deserve to be notified as soon as possible, but it’s not unheard of for an organisation to “hide” a data breach as opposed to facing up to it and dealing with it.

Reportedly, Gwent Police are to be investigated for doing just that.

News sources say that Gwent Police are being investigated for failing to inform hundreds of individuals that their data protection rights had been breached.
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