Police Ombudsman Apologizes for Data Leak

The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has apologized for a data leak involving the personal details of 160 current and former staff members, which was inadvertently sent to 22 job interview candidates. The breach occurred when a three-page document containing the surnames and initials of staff, along with some details about their roles and working patterns, was attached to an email. Chief Executive Hugh Hume acknowledged the distress caused by the incident and confirmed that the information has been reported to the Information Commissioner's Office. An independent review of the breach will be conducted to assess the incident and provide recommendations. Immediate actions were taken to mitigate the breach, including contacting the recipients and confirming that most have deleted the information. This incident follows a previous data breach involving the Police Service of Northern Ireland, raising concerns about data protection practices within the organization.