In this overview we are reporting on two recent major data leaks, which resulted into loss of troves of data and significant penalties by regulatory authorities.

According to the Cost of Insider Risks Global Report 2023 by Ponemon Institute, non-malicious insiders are responsible for 3/4 of all the insider incidents around the globe. Clicking on a button in a hurry or sharing a confidential document with someone from outside — these, unfortunately, happen too often. Official bodies are also not immune to facing these types of incidents. Here are two recent cases from Europe and their consequences.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) faces a fine of £750,000 from the UK's Information Commissioner Office (ICO) for exposing the personal information of all 9,483 officers and staff while publishing a spreadsheet online in response to a freedom of information request in August 2023. The exposed data included:

• Surnames
• Initials
• Ranks
• Roles

ICO’s statement reads that PSNI’s internal procedures and sign-off protocols for the safe disclosure of information were inadequate.

Another hefty fine of 400,000 euros is to be faced by the Interior Ministry of Greece for violating the privacy of voters. According to an investigation by the country’s data protection authority, a ministerial document containing data, including email addresses and phone numbers of all voters registered for the June 2023 national elections, came into the hands of Anna-Michelle Asimakopoulou, a Greek European Parliament member running for re-election. Later, that contact list was used by Asimakopoulou to send emails with political content to voters, which was seen as a breach of data rules.

The document was for internal use only. The data protection authority stated that the ministry should revise its confidential data protection practices. Anna-Michelle Asimakopoulou was also fined €40,000.

Since insider risks leading to serious fines and penalties are growing day by day, providing quality protection against internal threats is a must-do. In this context, implementing a solid managed security service can be a perfect solution. If you are confused about where to begin, just start your free MSS trial by clicking here and enjoy a safe work environment.