Stolen laptops - Why delay in telling public?

The theft of laptop computers on June 5 from the offices of Bord Gáis raises serious issues. There was sensitive financial information on up to 75,000 customers on one of the computers and this information was not encrypted.

Customers involved would have changed their electricity accounts from the ESB to Bord Gáis as part of the Big Switch campaign. Details included names, addresses, account numbers, bank sort codes and other information that criminals could use to withdraw money from the accounts of those people.

Although the Data Protection Commissioner’s office was informed promptly of the theft, it was not until a week later that it was notified that the information was not encrypted on one of the computers.

A further four days passed before representatives of Bord Gáis and the Data Protection Commission got together to discuss the matter. Why did it take so long to arrange this meeting? Bord Gáis are due to write to the customers. This could hardly be reassuring.

The sensitive information should have encrypted and 11 days should not have been allowed to pass before the public was informed. It is being suggested that gardaí were following a definite line of enquiry.

Chances are said to be low that the thieves would have had the sophisticated knowledge to use the information to rifle the accounts of customers, but those are chances that nobody should take. In these matters all concerned should assume that Murphy’s Law rules.