What the FOI ‘leak’ means for the security of the police in Northern Ireland
The names and ranks of every serving police officer in Northern Ireland have been exposed after a major data breach.
A spreadsheet containing the surnames, initials, ranks and location of all current Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers was published online in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request on 8 August.
The breach did not include private addresses and was removed a few hours later.
But the threat to officers as a lasting result of the Troubles, which spanned 30 years, means officers must remain vigilant about their security.
More than 300 police officers were murdered in Northern Ireland during the Troubles and officers and staff remain under threat from republican paramilitaries.
Earlier this year, Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell was seriously injured in a shooting at a sports centre in Omagh, County Tyrone.
The PSNI later confirmed they are treating the shooting as terrorist-related, with the dissident republican group the New IRA the primary line of enquiry.
How did the PSNI become aware of the data breach?
The data was available publicly between two and three hours, according to PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Chris Todd, who apologised to officers for the “unacceptable” breach.
He said it was the result of human error and told media in Belfast on Tuesday night that he understood the breach would be of “considerable concern”.
The Belfast Telegraph first reported the breach after being contacted by an officer’s relative. It reported that the material, featuring 345,000 pieces of data, was wrongly published on the internet.
What is the effect on PSNI officers?
Police officers affected by the breach have said they are worried for their and their family’s safety.
A serving police constable told the BBC: “What this breach has done is highlight the fear and concern that my family have about me doing this job”.
When asked, Mr Todd said it is of “significant concern” that the information could be used by terrorist organisations.
More than 300 police officers were killed by republican parliamentary groups during the Troubles.
But the threat from dissident republican groups – which oppose the 1998 Good Friday Agreement peace settlement – remains.
In March, the terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland was raised from substantial to severe, meaning an attack was highly likely.
Liam Kelly, chair of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland (PFNI), told Sky News on Wednesday that some officers would not be able to continue their roles due to safety concerns, and might have to move house.
Mr Kelly said: “This is a breach of monumental proportions and the officers we represent are appalled, shocked and angry. They want action to ensure this never happens again.”
Much of the information leaked in the breach is already in the public domain. For example, uniformed officers wear badges with their names and ranks when on duty.
