The RCMP lost a memory key containing the personal details of victims, witnesses, and informants, and later discovered criminals were attempting to sell it, Canada’s privacy watchdog says.
The RCMP reported the breach to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) in March 2022, prompting an extensive investigation, according to a newly released report from Commissioner Philippe Dufresne.
The investigation found the unencrypted USB storage device held the personal data of 1,741 individuals, which included witnesses, complainants, subjects of interest, and informants, as well as police personnel and civilian staff.
“The RCMP’s investigation also established that only some of the documents on the device were password protected and that the device itself was not encrypted nor password protected,” the report reads….