Ireland’s Health Service Executive Laptop Theft Scandal

The Data Protection Commissioner’s office in Ireland noted that a laptop stolen from the home of a Health Service Executive employee containing the details of 1,000 health workers was not encrypted.

Currently under investigation is how the laptop, a BlackBerry device and data disc containing the personal details of more than 1,000 healthcare workers, was stolen from the home of an employee.

The HSE confirmed that the data was not encrypted, but that it was password protected, which as we have learned is NOT enough to secure sensitive information and can be easily circumvented.  The laptop contained the typical “steal my identity” data such as name, data of birth, phone number, occupation and other data.