[ISN] Prime Minister's health records breached in database attack

From: InfoSec News <alerts_at_private>
Date: Tue, 3 Mar 2009 03:06:24 -0600 (CST)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/03/02/nhs_database_breach/

By Dan Goodin
The Register
2nd March 2009

Personal medical records belonging to Scotland's rich and powerful - 
including Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Holyrood's First Minister Alex 
Salmond - have been illegally accessed in a breach of a national 
database that holds details of 2.5 million people.

The files contained names, ages, addresses, and occupations of the 
patients, in addition to medical information such as a list of any 
current medications and allergies to medicines, according to The Sunday 
Mail. The records of BBC newswoman Jackie Bird (an earlier version of 
this story mistakenly referred to her as "newsman") and former Labour 
leader Jack McConnell and his culture chief wife Bridget were also 
accessed.

The files were part of the Emergency Care Summary system database, which 
was established three years ago amid guarantees by the NHS that it was 
protected using the "highest standards of security." NHS staff generally 
have to ask patients' permission before reading records except when a 
patient is unconscious or otherwise unable to give consent.

An NHS Fife doctor has been charged with contravention of the Data 
Protection Act in the case and appeared on petition at Dunfermline in 
late December. He made no plea or declaration and isn't scheduled to 
appear again in court until later this year.

[...]


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Received on Tue Mar 03 2009 - 01:06:24 PST

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