More must be done to protect our data!

People claiming Social Security Benefits in Essex are seriously at risk of having their confidential details ending up in the hands of identity fraudsters because of a systemic security failure that is probably endemic across Government Departments up and down the country claims Stephen Metcalfe, Prospective Conservative Member of Parliament for South Basildon & East Thurrock.

Stephen Metcalfe explained: “Local Councils have direct computer access to social security records to prevent and detect fraud when processing Housing benefit and Council Tax benefit claims. When the computer link isn’t working the Benefits Agency at Basildon will post, by recorded delivery, a computer disc containing highly confidential records of people claiming Social Security benefits, their full names and addresses, dates of birth, national insurance numbers and type of benefit they are claiming.”

“The loss of 2 discs containing child benefit details of 25 million people was not a one off incident; it would appear to be a systemic security failure endemic amongst Government Departments to post computer discs containing vast amounts of private and confidential data through the post. Benefits Agency offices up and down the country could be posting hundreds, if not thousands of these discs to councils every year.”

“The Benefits Agency carries out no security checks to ensure that these discs are destroyed after they have been used for the purpose intended. The discs could end up forgotten and gathering dust in a council filing cabinet or desk drawer. Nobody would know if they went missing and fell into the wrong hands.”

Stephen Metcalfe added, “It makes a mockery of the Data Protection Act. It’s a serious breach in security and a weak link in keeping peoples details confidential”

Posted 22/11/07

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