The Canadian Privacy Law Blog: Developments in privacy law and writings of a Canadian privacy lawyer, containing information related to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (aka PIPEDA) and other Canadian and international laws.

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The author of this blog, David T.S. Fraser, is a Canadian privacy lawyer who practices with the firm of McInnes Cooper. He is the author of the Physicians' Privacy Manual. He has a national and international practice advising corporations and individuals on matters related to Canadian privacy laws.

For full contact information and a brief bio, please see David's profile.

Please note that I am only able to provide legal advice to clients. I am not able to provide free legal advice. Any unsolicited information sent to David Fraser cannot be considered to be solicitor-client privileged.

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The views expressed herein are solely the author's and should not be attributed to his employer or clients. Any postings on legal issues are provided as a public service, and do not constitute solicitation or provision of legal advice. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained herein or linked to. Nothing herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of competent counsel.

This web site is presented for informational purposes only. These materials do not constitute legal advice and do not create a solicitor-client relationship between you and David T.S. Fraser. If you are seeking specific advice related to Canadian privacy law or PIPEDA, contact the author, David T.S. Fraser.

Wednesday, October 20, 2004

UC Berkeley reports massive security/privacy breach

Another in a series of significant privacy incidents has hit California universities. This time, a research database containing very sensitive personal information was penetrated. See the discussion on Slashdot and the article, below, from Security Focus:

SecurityFocus HOME News: California reports massive data breach:
"The FBI is investigating the penetration of a university research system that housed sensitive personal data on a staggering 1.4 million Californians who participated in a state social program, officials said Tuesday.
The compromised system had the names, addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers and dates of birth of everyone who provided or received care under California's In-Home Supportive Services program since 2001, says Carlos Ramos, assistant secretary of the state's Health and Human Services Agency. The program pays a modest hourly wage to workers who provide in-home care for hundred of thousands of low-income elderly, blind and disabled people.
Officials say they have not determined whether or not the intruder actually downloaded the database, which had been made available to researchers at the University of California, Berkeley under a confidentiality agreement. 'We don't know whether or not the information was accessed,' says Ramos. 'Since it is sensitive data we figured it would be best to get word out to people so they can take preventive measures just in case.' ..."

See also the California Department of Social Services information about this incident at: http://www.cdss.ca.gov/ihss/. The Department also has an FAQ related to the incident at http://www.cdss.ca.gov/ihss/IHSSSecuri_1720.htm.

Labels: health information, information breaches, law enforcement