PSNI Over-reveals in Freedom of Information Response

[TheSaltyBaron]

Summary

PSNI (Police Service Northern Ireland) has accidentally provided a freedom of information request with far too much information. In this case providing an Excel document that contained the surname, Initials, Rank/Grade of the officer, location, and finally the department they work in.

 

Quotes

Quote

According to the PSNI, the data was released accidentally in response to a freedom of information request and was available to the public for up to three hours before the error was spotted.

 

My thoughts

The recent data leak by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) raises significant concerns. In Northern Ireland, where many police officers confront challenging situations and threats daily, a large number operate as plain-clothed officers. While the leaked details, such as last names and work locations, might appear insignificant, they pose a considerable risk. For an officer operating discreetly within a community, these details can provide enough information for those with ill intentions to discern their identity. This is especially alarming in tight-knit communities where residents are well-acquainted.

 

Considering Northern Ireland's not-so-distant history of unrest and violence, coupled with the ongoing activities of paramilitaries—whether rooted in historical political issues or evolving into gangs involved in drugs or other criminal enterprises—the risk is heightened. With the data of both active officers and civilian PSNI staff exposed, it wouldn't take much effort or social engineering to exploit this information for malicious purposes.

 

Moreover, the incident prompts questions about PSNI's data handling practices. Why was such sensitive information stored in a basic file? And how could it be released without proper verification?

 

Sources

 thegaurdian article

psni news update

[DildorTheDecent]

As someone cursed to be born, live and die in Northern Ireland it doesn't surprise me in the slightest that this occured. It's been nonstop in the news and will be for the next month as, you guessed it, nothing is done.

 

Could only happen in NI.

[Albal_156]

Lots of data leaks from the UK right now.

[Monkey Dust]

And the data is now in the hands of the people you'd least want to have it...

 

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/aug/14/document-psni-data-leak-belfast-wall-threat

[Bitter]

I'm sure the police will protect them just as well as they all citizens.