MANITOBA (UPDATE) ON RECENT COMPUTER THEFT AT DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AS WELL AS REPORT OF ANOTHER COMPUTER STOLEN FROM SCHOOL winnipegsun.com - Winnipeg News - Justice data stolen

Sat,December 1, 2007
Justice data stolen

Computers containing some confidential information have been stolen from Manitoba Justice's prosecutions and corrections offices in downtown Winnipeg, but the department feels the thieves were after the hardware, not the information contained therein.

The thief or thieves broke into department offices in the Woodsworth Building at Broadway and Kennedy Street twice in three weeks, said Don Slough, director of prosecutions for the province.

LAPTOPS AND BLACKBERRIES

Seven laptops, two BlackBerries and a projector were stolen.

The prosecutions equipment contained "a small amount of data" while the corrections equipment had information, including names, pertaining to corrections programming.

The people affected by that information have been contacted, said Slough, noting there has been no fallout as a result of the breach.

"Virtually all our work product is saved on a network, not on the computers themselves," Slough said.

The department believes the stolen items were not taken for the information they contain, Slough said, noting there is no indication it was an "inside job."

Tory justice critic Gerald Hawranik said the department should take better care of sensitive information.

The department should have learned after government lists of prisoners' names and addresses were found inside the home of Hells Angel Ian Grant, he said.

"There has to be greater security. They have to be protective of that type of information because it can affect the safety of victims, the safety of witnesses," Hawranik said.

Slough said "a number of measures" have been put in place since the recent break-ins to prevent future thefts.

Police have yet to make an arrest in the case.

Meanwhile, a West Kildonan school was without Internet access this week and some students' school work was lost after someone broke in Monday or Tuesday and stole a network computer at Ecole Seven Oaks Middle School.

He said staff and students' personal information was not at risk because most of that information is on an outside server.