An Australian expert has been called in to investigate a privacy breach that saw thousands of ACC files sent to the wrong person.© 2012 Fairfax New Zealand Ltd
ACC chief executive Ralph Stewart said Malcolm Crompton, who worked at KPMG and was a former Australian Federal Privacy Commissioner, would conduct the inquiry and report back within three months. The inquiry was commissioned by ACC and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner after the details were accidentally emailed out to one claimant.
In the fall out from the mistake, former ACC Minister Nick Smith stood down from his portfolios after it was found he sent correspondence to the woman involved without declaring a conflict of interest. The two were friends.
The inquiry will focus on the circumstances regarding the release of the private information and whether organisational weaknesses exist in the way ACC handles personal information. Stewart said the report from Crompton would be made public.
Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff said individual privacy complaints would be handled as usual by the Privacy Commissioner complaints investigation process. The breach of thousands of peoples' information had raised a number of concerning questions, she said. "This was a large data breach where a spreadsheet containing information about thousands of claims has been emailed to an ACC claimant."
The Commission would be kept informed of progress throughout the inquiry, she said.
The inquiry will look into the release of personal information in August last year, it will not look into Smith's advocating for Bronwyn Pullar who received the emails. It will look at the circumstances surrounding the breach and determine whether ACC's policies in relation to security are appropriate and efficient.
The inquiry team will also conduct an assessment of ACC's policies, processes, culture and practices to manage client information.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6627878/Australian-expert-to-probe-ACC-breach
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