Incident Details
Over 1,000 PSNI officers and staff have utilized a payment offer to enhance home security measures after a significant data breach. The Policing Board disclosed that the current expenditure for the scheme amounts to £400,000 for the force. In August, the personal information of nearly 9,500 PSNI officers and staff was inadvertently disclosed in reply to a Freedom of Information (FoI) application. This information included the last name and first letter of each worker, their position or classification, location, and their working unit.
Incident
How Did the Breach Happen?
A security breach occurred when the information of nearly 9,500 PSNI personnel was inadvertently disclosed in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) inquiry.
What Data has been Compromised?
The roster contained the last name and first letter of each staff member, their position or level, their location, and the department they are assigned to.
Why Did the company's Security Measures Fail?
The security protocols of the company were compromised when confidential employee information was inadvertently disclosed in compliance with a Freedom of Information inquiry, leading to a breach.
What Immediate Impact Did the Breach Have on the company?
The PSNI provided a payment option to over 1,000 officers and staff for enhancing home security, resulting in an expenditure of £400,000 for the force.
How could this have been prevented?
Ensuring that sensitive employee information is not inadvertently disclosed in response to requests under the Freedom of Information Act could have avoided the security breach.
What have we learned from this data breach?
The recent incident of data compromise emphasizes the crucial need to cautiously manage and safeguard sensitive personal data in order to avoid unintended disclosure.
Summary of Coverage
The information of nearly 9,500 PSNI officers and personnel was accidentally disclosed in August 2024 due to a Freedom of Information request, resulting in a significant data breach. A sum of £400,000 was spent by the force as over 1,000 officers and staff accepted a compensation offer to enhance their home security.