"Lancashire Constabulary Among Worst Forces For Police Data Breaches in England"

According to new research, Lancashire Constabulary is one of England's worst police forces for suspected data breaches or security incidents.  New figures show that the police force recorded 1,317 incidents of deliberate or accidental destruction, loss, or disclosure of personal information between November 2019 and November 2021.  During the 24 months, there were 13,332 suspected incidents across 44 of the UK's police forces.  These figures equate to one breach every 76 minutes.  Lancashire Police reported 817 occasions when email accounts had been accessed or used without permission, leading to either incorrect information being sent out or the wrong recipients receiving confidential data.  The force also reported 37 occasions when incorrect information had been disclosed, but this type of incident was not common among most forces in the UK.   In one instance, medical information about a third party was inadvertently disclosed to a victim.  In another incident, incorrect data about an offender was shared with social services.  There were also 130 incidents of assets reported lost or stolen, including laptops, USB sticks, and body cameras.  Dorset Police disclosed 145 occasions where paperwork was lost or stolen.   Devon and Cornwall Police recorded 163 incidents of ID or warrant cards going missing, while Derbyshire Constabulary announced they sent 79 emails to the wrong people.  Police forces across the country store large quantities of personal data about their employees and members of the public, including witnesses, suspects, and criminals.  They also harbor genetic and biometric data, making them an attractive target for sophisticated cybercriminals.  In 2022, cybercrime cost the UK 3.1 billion pounds, an increase of 1.8 billion pounds compared to the year before, according to National Fraud Intelligence.

LancsLive reports: "Lancashire Constabulary Among Worst Forces For Police Data Breaches in England"