Privacy Breach affects more than 15,000 Workers
Confidential Information on more than 15,000 was given to a self proclaimed strike breaker and industrial spy, Mr Bruce Townsend in 2010. The Ages newspaper reports that while employed by Theiss Degremont, Mr Townsend infiltrated the desalination plant.
The 5th June 2012 article reported that files included medical records, bank account numbers, and salary details of many who applied for a job building the plant. Other information included addresses, driver’s licence numbers, mobile phone numbers (and those of spouses or emergency contacts), tax file numbers, superannuation account numbers and bank account details of hundreds of Thiess Degremont workers.
Confirmation was also included on whether individuals were union members.
Also given to Mr Townsend and his company were details of drug and medical testing, a history of each individual’s physical injuries, and their medical assessment completed before starting work.
Today, 7th June 2012, unions, Thiess Degremont and representatives of Australian Security and Investigations will sit down in the Federal Court as part of an arbitrated attempt to settle the legal action.
Thiess Degremont last week began sending out letters to hundreds of affected employees and job applicants to say sorry for its actions.
Those affected were advised, ‘‘We deeply regret and apologise for the manner in which your private information was managed, and the way in which this contractor was engaged and operated without proper approval and in breach of our guidelines,’’ by signatory, Mr Rzesniowiecki.
The information is also on a server in the Netherlands where Townsend put it. The larger question no one can answer is who else has had access to it.’’
For more information on this case check out The Age: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/desal-firm-sorry-over-secret-files-20120604-1zs99.html#ixzz1x3XDvZ9y
Regards
Ruth Edge
April Newsletter
May is Information Management Awareness Month. The April 2012 edition of our newsletter highlights some of the developments in one of our key projects, the ECM Step Program marketing and promotion. We urge you to use Information Management Awareness Month to promote good practice and encourage key stakeholders to attend the MAV organised July 10th & 11th 2012 International Conference, “Creating the Knowledge Based Organisation for the Future – from internal silos to Information Management to Knowledge Management”. We have great speakers lined up to present and hold workshops. The conference proposes to be a cornerstone of our ECM Step Program, helping us support major initiatives into the future.
Our April 2012 edition of our newsletter also covers major events across the sea, with the consequences of poor record keeping 50 years ago coming home to roost for the British government. The PROV shares with us some upcoming events and developments with their standards and awards. We share some highlights from the recent Committee Meeting where we discussed opportunities to drive improvements across the sector.
Happy Reading!
Ruth