Data security breach could happen here, warns official

THE Data Protection Commissioner yesterday warned that the shocking security breach that led to personal data on 25 million people being lost in Britain could also happen here.

Commissioner Billy Hawkes said yesterday he had serious concerns about the security protocols in some Irish agencies.

His comments follow a lapse in security in Britain that led to two disks containing personal and, in some cases, banking details of half of Britain’s population being lost in the post.

The most shocking aspect of the development was that the information was not encrypted. The whereabouts of the two disks remains unknown and there are fears they may have fallen into criminal hands.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Chancellor Alistair Darling were yesterday hounded by opposition leader David Cameron for what Mr Darling admitted was a “huge, massive, unforgivable mistake” by a junior official in Revenue and Customs.

But Mr Hawkes said departments and state agencies here should not have any sense of complacency that it could not happen here.

He told RTÉ: “I think it’s something that has to be of concern to all of us. Similar amounts of information are held in central government databases in Ireland.

“This will be a wake-up call to the public service and we need to ask are we sure of the security of the data that is being held.”

There has been no significant breach in security in Ireland, though both the Department of Social and Family Affairs and the Revenue Commissioners have reported individual breaches and inappropriate access of files by its employees.

Mr Hawkes said agencies needed to ensure technology was up-to-date and sensitive information was encrypted. He said there was also a need to train people in security protocols.

The Department of Finance said it was satisfied its systems were robust and secure. Social and Family Affairs said: “We administer some 50 separate welfare schemes and services and over one million people each week claim social welfare payments. The exchange of data is carried out in a secure manner which includes encryption.”