Northern Ireland police named.

[Chippy_Tea]

Police officers in Northern Ireland are frightened and their families and friends could be "jeopardised" after details were published in error, a former NI justice minister has said.
Naomi Long said some officers would consider their futures with the force.
In response to a freedom of information (FoI) request, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) shared names of all police and civilian personnel, where they were based and their roles.
The details were then published online.
They were removed a few hours later.
Speaking on BBC News NI's Good Morning Ulster programme, Alliance Party leader Mrs Long said there would have to be a full and frank investigation into the circumstances of the breach.
"There are systemic issues here why was this data available to be issued in unencrypted form in the way that it was," she said.
She added the digital footprint will be "almost impossible" to eradicate and her focus is now on making sure there is "adequate support for officers based on the level of risk".
Mrs Long said the PSNI had a duty of care to ensure measures were put in place to offer officers proper guidance and additional security measures if necessary.
"These are people, both staff and officers, who put themselves at risk in order to keep the rest of us safe and the organisation has failed to protect their data and keep them safe," she added.

• Why police in Northern Ireland are still targets
• Terrorism threat level raised in Northern Ireland

Full article www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Chippy_Tea]

The scale of this error is enormous.
It is probably the worst data breach in the organisation's 22-year history.
The consequences are a little more difficult to evaluate.
Had this contained addresses, it would have been catastrophic in terms of assisting terrorist groups target officers.
But the release of employee names could still expose individuals, many of whom take great care to keep who they work for a secret, even, in some cases, from friends and family.
That the information was published on a website for more than two hours will add to concerns within the workforce.

BBC News.

 

[Beermonster66]

When I read this article on the BBC News page it said that the details were released in response to a freedom of information request. The source data was released instead of the edited version which should have gone out. Looks like incompetence rather than malicious hacking.

 

[Nicks90]

Yep, that's how I read it too.

If I was a plod in N.I - especially intelligence - I would be sh!77ing bricks

 

[Beermonster66]

Thankfully, no home addresses were given out. What a cluster!

 

[Brew_DD2]

It's appalling. I have friends in PSNI, and they and their families are furious. They spend their lives having to lie about what they do for a living. They deserve better than this.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Looks like incompetence rather than malicious hacking.

That is what they are now saying.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

BBC News 1 hour ago -

PSNI data: Police investigate second breach after documents stolen​

Details of a second data breach within the Police Service of Northern Ireland have emerged less than 24 hours after a "monumental" leak of staff information.
Confirmation of the theft in July of a spreadsheet with names of 200 officers and staff emerged on Wednesday.
Police officers and staff had already been given updated security advice after the accidental publication of personal details on the internet.
The names and roles of 10,000 officers and staff were published on Tuesday.
The information released in the first data breach was accidentally included in a response to a freedom of information (FoI) request and appeared on the internet for a few hours.
Revealing details of the second breach, Assistant Chief Constable Chris Todd said documents, along with a police issue laptop and radio, were believed to have been stolen from a private vehicle in the Newtownabbey area of County Antrim on 6 July.
The officers and staff concerned have been made aware of the incident.

'Extremely serious situation'​

The PSNI had previously said it was treating the release in the first breach as a critical incident and that an emergency threat assessment group had been established.
That information included the surname and first initial of every employee, their rank or grade, where they are based and the unit they work in, including sensitive areas such as surveillance and intelligence.
"This is an extremely serious situation," said ACC Todd.
"We fully understand the very real concerns being felt by our colleagues and their families and we are working hard to do everything we can to mitigate any risk.
"As well as general advice on safety and security this multi-disciplinary group will focus on immediate support to those with specific circumstances which they believe place them or their families at immediate risk or increased threat of harm."
In the past, heightened security advice has included checking vehicles for under-car explosive devices and frequently changing routes taken to and from home.

• Police update security advice after data error
• How did Northern Ireland police data breach happen?

More than 300 police officers were murdered in Northern Ireland during the 30 years of violence known as the Troubles and officers and staff remain under threat from republican paramilitaries.
The most recent attack was when Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was seriously injured in a shooting in Omagh, County Tyrone.
A serving police constable has told the BBC that the accidental publication of personal details brought home the fears his family have about his safety.
The constable - who the BBC is not naming for security reasons - said many of his colleagues went to great lengths to protect their identities and would be worried.
"Since joining the service I have moved house and spent a considerable amount of money making sure it is secure and to give me and my loved ones peace of mind," he said.
"I have chosen to do this job and over time have become accustomed to the risks, but what this breach has done is highlight the fear and concern that my family have about me doing this job."
The threat to officers means they must be extremely vigilant about their security.
Many, especially from nationalist communities, keep their employment secret, in some cases even from many family members.

Full article - PSNI data: Police investigate second breach after documents stolen

 

[MrJay83]

Impending PSNI statement from senior officers:
"It's a time to reflect, learn from mistakes and continue to provide a top-tier service to the public of Northern Ireland"

 

[MashBag]

The issue for me isn't so much the sender. That clearly was an accident (based on what we know).

The recipient however, must have thought "what?!?" and that that point acted maliciously.

 

[Donegal john]

The issue for me isn't so much the sender. That clearly was an accident (based on what we know).

The recipient however, must have thought "what?!?" and that that point acted maliciously.

Was the info not posted on a freedom of information website aimed at the general public ?
That’s my understanding of todays news.
The breach from the lost/stolen laptop was a lot bigger as I believe that held a lot more information.
Funny how that had just came to light as well when the psni bosses knew that had happened and said nothing

 

[Chippy_Tea]

If i remember correctly at least 40 of these worked/work in sensitive areas such as surveillance and intelligence they must be going through a living nightmare at the moment.



Information mistakenly released in a major data breach is in the hands of dissident republicans, Northern Ireland's police chief has said.

The data includes the surname and first initial of 10,000 Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) employees.
It also includes their rank or grade, where they are based and the unit in which they work.
Simon Byrne said the information could be used to "intimidate or target officers and staff".
"We are working round the clock to assess and mitigate this risk," he said.

He said dissident republican paramilitaries could use the list of names to generate "fear and uncertainty".

What information was released?​

Details released in what Mr Byrne earlier called a breach of "industrial scale" included names of people who work in sensitive areas such as surveillance and intelligence.
In March, the terrorist threat level in Northern Ireland was raised from substantial to severe, meaning an attack is highly likely.
It followed an attack on a senior officer who suffered life-changing injuries after being shot several times by dissident republican paramilitaries.
The threat to officers means they must be extremely vigilant about their security.
Many, especially from nationalist communities, keep their employment secret, in some cases even from many family members.

Liam Kelly, the chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland (PFNI), the body that represents police officers, urged all police officers and staff to exercise "maximum vigilance".
"We must do all we can to frustrate and prevent attacks on our colleagues and their families," he said.
"That means varying the routes we take to and from work, changing routines and re-assessing our personal security both on and off duty."

• Timeline of Irish dissident republican activity
• Why police in Northern Ireland are still targets

Mr Byrne said the safety and welfare of officers and staff was his top priority and said an online service had been set up to deal with any staff concerns.
Contrary to some reports, there was no evidence of movement of officers and staff outside the organisation and he paid tribute to the "resilience" of staff, he added.
Mr Byrne said the force was being strongly supported by a range of cyber specialists, and continuing to liaise with the UK government.
He said that at the beginning of Monday there were 45 members of PSNI staff the organisation "hadn't caught up with" to discuss the breach, adding that things were moving quickly.
The police chief said contact and face-to-face meetings were continuing to be organised and that the details of retired colleagues were not part of the breach.

Why are police in Northern Ireland at risk?​

In February, a senior officer who suffered life-changing injuries after being shot several times by dissident republican paramilitaries.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, it emerged on Saturday that 200 officers and staff were not informed of the theft of personal data from a superintendent's car for a month after it was stolen.
A document containing the names of 200 officers and staff was taken along with a police-issue laptop on 6 July.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-66479818