A big data breach endangers police in Northern Ireland
Blame a cock-up, not a conspiracy
HAD HOMER SIMPSON been put in charge of handling sensitive police data he could hardly have bungled worse. Unfortunately, in real life, publishing thousands of names of serving members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is not funny. The service accidentally published online 345,000 pieces of data about its entire workforce—from the chief constable to his typist—of more than 10,000 people. Though they were removed from the initial site within a few hours, the information continues to circulate.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Lives on the line”
Britain August 12th 2023
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- Five years on, is Britain’s strategy to combat loneliness working?
- A big data breach endangers police in Northern Ireland
- What broken ferries reveal about Scotland’s government
- In defence of Britain’s public toilets
- From wild swimming to grouse shooting, Britain is in hock to hobbyists
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