Gwent Police has apologised after the personal details of 10,006 individuals applying for criminal record checks were emailed to a journalist by accident.

A senior member of staff sent the sensitive information, which was not encrypted or password-protected, as an attachment in an email to five colleagues. Unfortunately, the staff member failed to spot their email system’s ‘AutoComplete’ feature had mistakenly copied in a reporter at The Register, Europe’s largest IT news website.

The Excel spreadsheet is said to have contained the full names and dates of birth of individuals subject to CRB checks since 2001. It also included the results of these checks, identifying 863 people as having a disclosures against them and, in some cases, revealing their occupations and criminal histories.

In a statement, Gwent Police attributed the data breach to  ’human error’ rather than a software problem, saying:

“As a Force we have strict policies and procedures in place relating to Data Security but regrettably these were not followed on this occasion. We are very sorry that we have on this occasion failed to meet our own high standards.”

Gwent Police confirmed a member of staff had been suspended and an internal investigation had begun under the supervision of the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Source: The Register, 16 April 2010.

Greater Manchester Police has become the latest institution to fall victim to the globe-spanning Conficker worm.

A particularly virulent outbreak recently resulted in the force reportedly having to disconnect itself from the Police National Computer for more than three days.  The incident is suspected to have been caused by a member of staff introducing the malware via a personal USB memory stick.

According to reports, the speed of the infection resulted in GMP being cut off from using the PNC and other Criminal Justice systems, meaning officers had to ask neighbouring forces to carry out identity checks on criminals and suspect vehicles.

In a statement, Dave Thompson, Assistant Chief Constable said the ‘public had not experienced any difference in the service they received’ due to the virus outbreak, adding that no data had been lost.

In a serious breach of security, it has emerged that the personal details of 400 magistrates and 26 court legal advisors have been accidentally given to prisoners.

Her Majestys Court Service confirmed that a magistrates ‘Year Book’ containing personal telephone numbers and email addresses was sent to print workshop run by prisoners at HMP Standford Hill in Kent.

All hard copies and electronic copies are reported to have since been destroyed. New screening procedures for printing of the directory have now been put in place.

Source: Daily Mail, 21 January 2010.