BRITISH COLUMBIA PRIVACY NIGHTMARE FOR PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT AS SENSITIVE FILES WERE ON STOLEN COMPUTERS Privacy nightmare: Sensitive files on stolen computers
Chad Skelton, Vancouver SunPublished: Wednesday, March 08, 2006

The provincial government had more than 100 pieces of computer equipment and dozens of laptops and cellphones stolen last year, according to documents obtained by The Vancouver Sun.

The equipment was worth an estimated $387,000.

In response to a freedom of information request from The Sun, the provincial government produced a list of all computer equipment and cellphones lost or stolen in the 2004-05 fiscal year.

In total, 138 pieces of computer equipment, 31 laptop computers and nine cellphones were reported missing during the year.

The government said all of those items were stolen, rather than lost.

Schools were hardest hit.

Twelve laptops and 77 other pieces of computer equipment were stolen from various school districts across the province and another 21 computers went astray at universities and colleges.

But some ministries and agencies that deal with sensitive information also had electronics stolen, including:

- Four laptop computers and three other pieces of computer equipment from the Attorney-General's ministry.
- Four laptop computers from the Public Safety and Solicitor-General's ministry.

- Three laptop computers and one other piece of computer equipment from the Health Services ministry.

- One laptop and 15 other pieces of computer equipment from various health authorities and hospitals, includingVancouver General Hospital, Lions Gate Hospital and Richmond Hospital.

Graham Currie, a spokesman for the Ministry of Labour and Citizens' Services -- which looks after the government's computer network -- said the government does not believe sensitive information was compromised in any of the incidents.

Currie said the ministry's internal investigators believe items "were taken for their commercial value rather than for information."

And he said government staff, aware of the risks of computers being lost or stolen, are advised to take precautions to protect private information.

Those measures include ensuring all computers are password-protected and saving sensitive records on the government's central network rather than on individual machines.
cskelton@png.canwest.com

© The Vancouver Sun 2006