Could your personal records get into the wrong hands?

Wednesday 07 October 2015

Our health, tax and school records could be at risk because States departments aren’t doing enough to protect them.

The States spending watchdog says Jersey’s approach to information security is falling short of recognised international standards and is concerned our personal information could get into the wrong hands because civil servants aren’t taking information security seriously enough.

In her report to the States, the Comptroller and Auditor General Karen McConnell said that "even where departments are dealing with third parties and possibly exchanging large amounts of potentially sensitive information, little consideration of information security threats is evident".

We’re all using the internet more and more and that’s given rise to increased and new threats to information security – from serious organised crime groups, political activists hacking and using the internet to steal information and government spying.

And we'll be using it even more to connect with the States when the stalled £7 million e-Gov project finally gets underway. The flagship project should make it easier for us to do basic things online like filing our taxes, changeingour addresses for government services and applying for Planning permission. 

But the Watchdog says the States efforts to re-engineer the way services are delivered are all increasing the risks of information security breaches and that sufficient appropriate skills and resources need to be in place across all States departments to manage the threats and vulnerabilities faced.