Norfolk and Suffolk Police Data Breach: Information of 1,230 individuals compromised as two Police Forces admit to data breach; Here are all the details

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Norfolk and Suffolk constabularies, openly admitted to a data breach affecting 1,230 individuals. This breach encompasses victims of crime and witnesses, ushering in concerns about the exposure of sensitive information.

The breach came to light due to a «technical issue» encountered by the police forces. Raw data, pertaining to a myriad of crime reports ranging from domestic incidents, sexual offenses, assaults, thefts, to hate crimes, was inadvertently incorporated into files produced in response to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests concerning crime statistics. The data, unbeknownst to those opening the files, was meant to be concealed. The compromised data not only involved various crime reports but extended to cover a broad array of offenses. It encompassed deeply personal and sensitive details that individuals may have reported as victims or witnesses.

Upon discovery, Norfolk and Suffolk constabularies promptly acknowledged the situation and released a joint statement. They clarified that while the data remained hidden within the files, it should not have been included in the FOI responses distributed between April 2021 and March 2022. The forces embarked on diligent efforts to ascertain whether the released data had been accessed externally. Presently, they have found no evidence suggesting unauthorized access to this information.Eamonn Bridger, Assistant Chief Constable of Suffolk Police, issued an apology to the public. He expressed regret for any concerns the breach may have caused the residents of Norfolk and Suffolk. Bridger emphasized that measures for handling FOI requests are under constant review to safeguard all data under the constabularies'