NEWS Computer discs containing confidential financial and personal details relating to housing benefits claims have been left unsecured by contractors covering for striking IT workers at Swansea council, according to new claims from trade union Unison.
The indefinite strike by 102 IT staff over a proposed £100m outsourcing of the council's IT to the private sector has become increasingly bitter and is now in its fifth week.
The security lapse was discovered last week by a council employee who took photographs and then notified Unison. The photos show stacks of computer discs and tapes clearly visible in an open safe.
The union said the discs and tapes in the safe contain around six years worth of housing benefits data including personal financial information, changes in circumstances and other personal data such as marital status and details of children.
IT staff said the safe was left locked and in a secure state by IT staff prior to the strike commencing. IT cover is being provided by contractors through Sanderson Recruitment and Spring Group, according to the union.
Unison said the lapse is "unacceptable and unprofessional" A statement said: "This safe should never, under any circumstances, be left in this unsecured state."
But Swansea council has hit back at the claims and said there was never any risk of the data on the discs and tapes being compromised.
A spokesman said: "These allegations will be looked into as part of an on-going audit. There was no risk that the data contained on these discs could have been published. To suggest otherwise is misleading and scaremongering. It is impossible to meaningfully view the content of the discs without access to both the back-up device on which the discs were created, and also through the use of specialist software purchased by the council, to which only a limited number of staff have access."
A fresh row has also broken out over the council's claims of "business as usual" with regard to the authority's IT systems. Swansea council has dismissed claims by Unison that the housing benefits system has been non-operational since the first Wednesday of the dispute with 45,000 documents waiting to be scanned into the system.
A spokesman for Swansea council said the housing benefits system is still fully operational and there has been no impact on payments.
The striking IT staff have now written an open letter to council leader Tim Thorogood asking how the security lapse was allowed to happen and to provide guarantees about the security of data while the strike is ongoing.
Click here to view Unison's photographs of the security lapse.
Comments
There are 6 comments. Join the discussion
1. John Duffy
So the striking IT department are starting the propaganda machine.
You can see the huddle now. “What shall we do?” “A security breach is best, I know I have the spare key to the backup safe. Lets send a sympathiser in with a camera take a picture of the safe open, that will screw the council”
All together now “Great idea”.
Only problem is, it is not a safe is it! It’s a cupboard lined with steel. How long will that last in a fire? So the expose is the IT staff and there back up strategy. One more question does the information go off site as well or have you forgotten that little one as well.
2. Steve Houghton
What a load of desperate nonsense from Unison. Any one could watch safe being opened, pop over and offer £50 for a qucik picture, then watch the safe being locked 2 minutes later. Surely the employee who took the picture should be under investigation for blatantly trying to breach security themselves? Pictues like this only prove that the safe was open for 30 seconds, what a load of rubbish!
3. Simon
Well thtis statement is a load of bol^H^H^Hrubbish ...
"It is impossible to meaningfully view the content of the discs without access to both the back-up device on which the discs were created, and also through the use of specialist software purchased by the council, to which only a limited number of staff have access."
So it's impossible to load these (presumably) standard format disks into an off the shelf drive of the same format then ? And as for the "specialist software", I wouldn't be at all surprised to find a bog standard database behind it with easily determinable file structures.
So in practical terms, the disks will be easily readable, and the data on them is probably easily decipherable as well.
4. Jeff Halborg
Mr Duffy obvioulsy has NO knowledge of security safes at all. It is almost impossible to obtain 'spare keys' - I invite him to try? These keys were held by security staff themseleves until the head of ICT demanded to have them himself.
If Mr Duffy can't say something sensible, I suggest he shuts up!
5. anonymous
It is easy to make cheap dismissive comments, but this security issue was actually reported to the IT workforce by staff inside the authority who were appalled by the situation. Our IT team are professionals, unlike the cowboys they have covering them.
6. anonymous
What can you say but unbelieveable,that fresh computer paper is stored in a cabinet where security keys and confidential computer discs are stored.Thieves get in there and have a field day.Is all the countries including Swansea's DVLC security conducted like this?It probably isn't? But what if it is,Swansea treat your workers properly & get off the Privatisation band wagon or you will end up on the Outsourcing register in Bombay or some where.You know it makes sense only Fat Cats prosper from this Negative way of thinking.