WINNIPEG The Manitoba Ombudsman has released a report about a privacy breach involving the health information of nearly 9,000 children. On Aug. 26, 2020, Children s Disability Services accidentally sent health information of 8,900 kids to around 100 services agencies and community advocates in an email. The documents included the children s names, gender, date of birth, address, their disability and medical assessments. The Ombudsman launched an investigation to review the breach. The investigation found the breach was unintentional and was due to human error. The agencies that received the information deleted it right away. The Ombudsman added the department took the right measures to respond to the breach but it didn t completely implement privacy policies and procedures.
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The privacy breach involving confidential emails from Children s Disability Services about its clients was unprecedented in its scope, ombudsman Jill Perron says. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press files)
The Manitoba ombudsman has weighed in on the largest data breach in the provincial government s history.
The Manitoba ombudsman has weighed in on the largest data breach in the provincial government s history.
Its 61-page investigative report, which includes recommendations, looked into what happened in August when Children s Disability Services sent information on about 8,900 clients not just to the Manitoba advocate for children and youth (which it had been intended for) but also to about 100 service agencies and community advocates.
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The Manitoba Ombudsman has made nine recommendations to the provincial government following a data breach last summer that sent affected 8,900 children receiving services from the Children’s disAbility Services program of Manitoba Families.
“This privacy breach was unprecedented in scope for this province,” said Ombudsman Jill Perron, in a press release. “When those affected are vulnerable children and youth, the impact of a privacy breach of sensitive personal health information for those children and their families can be devastating.”
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Unprecedented breach involving personal information of 8,900 kids could have been avoided: ombudsman
A 2020 email containing the personal information of 8,900 kids involved with Children s Disability Services was only supposed to go to the Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth, but about 100 service agencies and community advocates were accidentally blind copied.
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About 100 other agencies were mistakenly bcc d on email meant for Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth
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Posted: Apr 29, 2021 4:05 PM CT | Last Updated: April 29
Manitoba ombudsman Jill Perron made nine recommendations to Manitoba Families as a result of the investigation into the 2020 privacy breach incident, all of which were accepted.(Cultura RF/Getty Images)
Winnipeg Free Press By: Editorial | Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Wednesday, Apr. 28, 2021
Editorial
Every year, the Manitoba government releases detailed departmental spending estimates following the unveiling of its budget. It’s a normal and important part of the budgeting process.
Every year, the Manitoba government releases detailed departmental spending estimates following the unveiling of its budget. It’s a normal and important part of the budgeting process.
The line-by-line projections provide the public with specific information about how government plans to spend taxpayers’ dollars, including the nuts and bolts of staffing, program costs and infrastructure projects. Unlike annual budget documents, which provide limited information, departmental estimates provide detailed breakdowns.