UK News

Prison staff details lost in latest data security debacle

Tuesday, 9th September 2008

Updated on Tuesday 9th September
Written by Francesca Cookney

Justice Secretary Jack Straw has this week ordered an investigation into yet another security breach in which the personal details of some five thousand prison staff have gone missing.

This, the latest in a string of embarrassing episodes of data loss occurred when technology company EDS lost an important hard drive back in 2007.

According to reports, the prison service were informed of the situation in July but the Justice Secretary himself was not informed until two months later, "I've ordered an urgent inquiry into the circumstances and the implications of the data loss and the level of risk involved," Straw told the media, "I have also asked for a report as to why I was not informed as soon as my department became aware of this issue".

EDS have promised to cooperate fully with the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) in rectifying their mistake and assessing the level of risk but the Prison Officer’s Association are calling an end to the government’s contract with the company and have even threatened strike action. A spokesman for the MOJ has asserted that the details lost are more likely to be those of administrative staff rather than those employed directly in prison or probation. Nevertheless, this is one more humiliation that the government could surely do without.