IRELAND (UPDATE) HSE STOLEN COMPUTER Stolen computer may have sensitive data on it - National News, Frontpage - Independent.ie:

Stolen computer may have sensitive data on it

By Eilish O'Regan and Brian McDonald

Wednesday June 17 2009

'This is extremely disappointing -- we were assured it would not happen again'

THE Health Service Executive (HSE) admitted last night one of 15 stolen laptops belonging to the organisation may contain "sensitive information".

But it will not be able to say what is contained inside the computer -- stolen from one of its offices in Roscommon -- until the coming days.

The laptop which was not encrypted to guard against someone accessing its information is now at the centre of a garda inquiry.

The theft has prompted major concern as it is believed to have been the property of a senior social worker.

It was one of 15 laptops stolen from the HSE's community care offices in Laneboro Road, Roscommon, between Friday night and Saturday morning.

Two of the laptops were not encrypted and one of these just contained training slides. But the other may contain highly personal information about children and families.

There was no evidence of a break-in at the offices and the thieves appear to have moved freely between 10 and 11 offices.

The failure to encrypt the laptop is expected to result in the Data Protection Commission serving a legal notice on the HSE.

An angry deputy commissioner Gary Davis told the Irish Independent last night he had received a guarantee from the HSE, on behalf of chief executive Brendan Drumm, that all its laptops would be encrypted.

The guarantee was given last September after another embarrassing incident when the laptop of a HSE medic, containing information about hundreds of

staff, was stolen. It was not encrypted although could only be accessed by password.

"This is extremely disappointing -- we were assured it would not happen again", he said.

The HSE said the laptop did not contain information on the Roscommon incest case.

However, the failure to encrypt was compounded by the failure to report the theft to the commissioner. The first information he received was listening to the lunchtime radio news yesterday.

Supt Paul Glynn in Roscommon said the office had 40 rooms and extensive forensic work has been carried out. They are pursuing several lines of inquiry. He appealed to anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area over the weekend to provide information.

The HSE said last night it began the process of encrypting all laptops in September and it told all staff members to ensure theircomputers were protected.

An encryption programme was undertaken and special clinics and sessions were set up for all staff .

Rigorous

Its encryption policy includes respecting the privacy of information in the staff person's possession and reporting all breaches to their line manager.

It was also learned last night that over 100 electronic and communication devices -- including laptops, PCs and mobile phones -- have been reported lost or stolen from the HSE between 2007 and last March.

Three of the laptops were stolen since the beginning of this year but just one had encrypted data.

Between 2005 and June last year there were 55 laptops stolen or reported missing. It is only since the beginning of this year that the HSE has begun a more rigorous reporting procedure following these incidents.

Fergus Finlay of the child welfare organisation Barnardos last night criticised the HSE for potentially allowing details of vulnerable children to be exposed. He has made a submission warning of the need to protect against this last year.

- Eilish O'Regan and Brian McDonald