Police have been ordered not to use unencrypted memory sticks after one of the devices containing witnesses’ details was stolen from a detective’s home.
Top brass at Greater Manchester Police have issued a memo warning all staff they face disciplinary action if they flout the rule.
The M.E.N. revealed how a memory stick including details of dozens of people who have assisted police, was in a wallet burgled from the home of a drugs officer.
Names of police tipsters were on memory stick stolen from detective's home
Comment: Data theft could damage trust
The stick – which was not password protected and not encrypted – is understood to also contain information about previous and current anti-drug operations, potential targets for arrest, and officers’ names.
The detective - who has since been suspended pending an internal probe - left the back door of his home in Grotton, Oldham, unlocked.
The thief also stole his car – a black Volkswagen Golf, registration MJ58 JVX. Police have launched a six-week investigation into the security breach and will contact all those whose details are on the stick.
The M.E.N. has learned that GMP had previously issued hundreds of the devices to staff to help them with their work.
Last year, chief constable Peter Fahy issued a directive saying that unencrypted devices should not be used to store sensitive information. Now Garry Shewan, the assistant chief constable, has issued a memo to officers.
It says: "Staff are no longer to use unencrypted, unauthorised, personal data storage devices (such as memory sticks/pen drives) for the storage of GMP data, or to move it from one location to another for their personal use. Only authorised and encrypted data storage devices are to be used on GMP IT Systems.
"A new policy relating to the use of encrypted data storage devices will be produced in early August and new encrypted data storage devices issued only to those who need to use them for GMP purposes." The Golf and the red and orange memory stick, which was the officer’s personal device, are still missing.
Mr Shewan said: "I want to reassure residents that we are taking this incredibly seriously and we are working hard to both identify who was responsible for the burglary and recover the stolen memory stick.
"I want to stress that we do not believe the officer’s home was deliberately targeted.
"Clearly, it is important we find that memory stick as soon as possible. Greater Manchester Police is reinforcing to officers and staff the importance of keeping information secure."
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"Top brass at Greater Manchester Police have issued a memo warning all staff they face disciplinary action if they flout the rule."
This will not solve the problem.
This sounds like 'bolting the paddock gate long after the horse went to the glue factory'. I'd be more concerned at what police and staff have right now languishing on computers or memory sticks in their (unprotected) homes.
The police are years behind when it comes to IT.
20 Police Officers! 20 Bloody Police Officers! Still can't get over it!
"Police have launched a six-week investigation into the security breach..". Is it really going to take GMP 6 weeks, no doubt incurring huge costs, to come to the same conclusion that everyone else has already reached.
Its a systemic failure. The senior police management should have had procedures in place ALREADY for this.
Any future members of the public will be better off phoning Crimestoppers to protect their identity.
If this happened in industry jobs would go.
Surely and sensistive material, no matrter what should EVER leave the site. He should be relased from his job. He could have put the lives of people trying to assist in danger. Some police officer, back door open, car keys etc close by. No excuses sack him.
"A new policy will be put into place re memory sticks etc". What did the old policy say?
Oh, I forgot there wasn't one.
We lost the horse, lets fix the gate.
It's this inability of large organisations to keep personal data safe that makes me say no to ID cards.
This mean nothing! It is only a few months since GMP told us the same thing when someone using a memory stick introduced a virus into the Police computers which took ages to remove.
So Officers will carry on doing it regardless because either GMP failed to do what they told us they were going to, or they failed to police the policy properly.
I wonder how the police managed before they had memory sticks? Maybe they just had to,er,remember things! Computers just stop people from thinking and reasoning,so over a few generations,their brains will shrink and become redundant. It is a muscle and needs constant excercise!
It has been rumored they are sometimes not too clever over their communication devices,creating witty pseudonyms for some characters they come into contact with.
Poor controls at GMP allow the safety of good law abiding citizens to be put at risk again.
"GMP had previously issued hundreds of the devices to staff to help them with their work."
So the devices that GMP issued. Were THEY encrypted and password protected?
Thought not.
There are plenty of people around who are savvy enough to crack any encrypted device.
Why do the police have to take the devices home with them anyway. Surely they should leave them at the station in a secure and guarded environment.