The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have had to apologise after revealing the personal details of around ten thousand staff members.
A Freedom of Information request had been sent to the PSNI asking for a breakdown of all staff rank and grades. However, when compiling this information in the response there was also a spreadsheet included which shared the surnames, initials and other data of all who worked at the PSNI. Personal addresses were thankfully not included within the information.
The risk that this could cause to all staff members of the PSNI could be significant and the Assistant Chief Constable Chris Todd has come out and said the error was “unacceptable”. The Northern Ireland Police have been the targets of Northern Ireland-related terrorism and many officers even keep their employment a secret from their families and friends. The release of this information could put many at serious risk of harm.
The information was published on a website for more than two hours which has caused serious concern for senior members of the PSNI. An urgent inquiry has been called for and senior police have already met to investigate the breach. It appears that it is being put down to human error.
You can read more about the situation here.
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