Lax security for HSE files on children

CONFIDENTIAL case files on vulnerable children under the care of the HSE were stored beside a photocopier in a general office area without any form of security encryption.

An internal review of the HSE South IT system, obtained by the Irish Examiner, has highlighted a litany of lax security measures including a failure to ensure private files with names, PPS numbers, medical and social data could only be accessed by authorised staff.

The review, overseen by outside auditors Mazars and independent health service officials last June, was part of a “sample” test of information and communications technology tests on the HSE’s national childcare data protection section.