A 50-year-old man has been apprehended and charged with offenses related to terrorism after a significant police data breach that occurred 11 days ago. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) inadvertently disclosed sensitive information pertaining to around 10,000 of its employees, in response to a Freedom of Information (FoI) request. The charged individual faces accusations of possessing documents or records that could be exploited for terrorist activities. Additionally, he is charged with the possession of articles intended for use in terrorism. He is expected to appear in court in Coleraine on Monday.
The FoI request-induced breach led to the inadvertent publication of the compromised information on an online platform. The PSNI promptly intervened and had the details removed from the website shortly thereafter. Regrettably, dissident republicans and other entities have gained access to the compromised list, raising concerns about the potential consequences of the breach.
This occurrence is part of a series of three separate data breach incidents currently under investigation by the PSNI. Another incident, unrelated to the recent one, transpired on July 6. In this instance, a police-issued laptop, radio, and a document containing the names of over 200 staff members were stolen from a private vehicle in Newtownabbey, County Antrim. On August 17, yet another incident unfolded when a PSNI laptop and a police officer’s notebook accidentally fell from a moving car’s roof on the M2 motorway in Belfast.
The notebook in question encompassed personal details of 42 officers and staff members. Portions of the notebook have yet to be recovered. Fortunately, the PSNI was able to retrieve the laptop that fell off the vehicle on the M2, promptly deactivating it. The PSNI has acknowledged their intention to notify the Information Commissioner regarding the M2 incident. Furthermore, Stormont’s Department of Justice and the Northern Ireland Policing Board, responsible for overseeing the PSNI, have already been made aware of the breach.