6 December 2012

Govt must learn lessons from latest report into IT security

The release of the Deloitte Phase II Report by the Ministry of Social Development into IT security at the Ministry is an important step towards ensuring that all New Zealanders can trust the Government with their private information, the Green Party said today.

“On top of the Auditor General’s findings into a slack privacy culture at ACC, this is another reminder of how crucial it is for this Government to treat the privacy of individual people with respect,” said Green Party income support spokesperson Jan Logie.

“Respect for privacy must be led from the top, and it’s hard to see how Paula Bennett has the credentials to lead any kind of change when she’s shown such blatant disregard for the privacy of WINZ clients in the past.

“It’s a relief that Deloitte found it was unlikely that other elements of the Ministry of Social Development’s work would be at risk of the weaknesses found in the report.

“The fact that there was a lack of formal privacy security measures at the Ministry of Social Development, and that the security of private information relied on an informal approach, shows the need for better processes.

“The cost to the taxpayer of the two Deloitte reports has been $450,000, and the replacement of the kiosks will, no doubt, costs hundreds of thousands more. The irony of this won’t be lost on the poorest New Zealanders who the Ministry is in charge of helping.”

ENDS

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