Northern Ireland Police Services staff and civilians impacted by data breach
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A data breach has been reported involving both officers and civilian staff within the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), encompassing names, ranks, and other personal data, but excluding private addresses.
The breach is caused by an accidental publication of a spreadsheet online, which initially contained information about the number of officers in each rank. However, a secondary tab within the spreadsheet unintentionally revealed more detailed data about thousands of staff members and their employment. The file was posted online in response to a Freedom of Information Request.
This erroneous disclosure persisted for an undisclosed period of timebefore being rectified.
The data in question contained
- employees' surnames,
- initials,
- work location,
- department.
Per PSNI Other personal information was not compromised. The incident prompted a rapid takedown of the exposed data.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has been notified about the incident and is assessing the provided information. The public is now demanding an urgent explanation from PSNI about the breach's extent, its cause, and the immediate response strategy.
PSNI onlu reports that an investigation is in progress and both the Northern Ireland Policing Board and the Information Commissioner's Office will be kept informed of developments. The PSNI is committed to mitigating concerns raised by their officers, staff, and their families due to this incident.
Update - The Police Service of Northern Ireland is investigating a second data breach - this time relating to stolen documents and a laptop. Documents, including a spreadsheet containing the names of more than 200 serving officers and staff, are believed to have been taken from a private vehicle on 6 July.
A police issue laptop and radio are also thought to have been stolen in the theft in Newtownabbey, near Belfast.
