Expert Insight: CPS Under Fire Again After Data Breach Cases Jump 18%

Information Security Buzz
Friday, October 9, 2020

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The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has recorded over 1600 data breaches over the course of a year, including scores of unauthorized disclosures classed as “severe,” it has emerged.

Ilia Kolochenko, CEO, ImmuniWeb

Cybersecurity personnel are already exhausted and overcharged with mushrooming problems.

I’d definitely refrain from criticising the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) unless we have a better and multidimensional understanding of the reported incidents. It is likely that most of them are of an insignificant nature and should have never been classified as a “data breach”. Furthermore, we should first compare the numbers with their national and international peers prior to making accusatory conclusions. Undoubtedly, a considerable part of the incidents stems from people, as human error, carelessness and negligence continue to be the dominating root causes of data leaks in companies and organizations around the globe with no exception.

Moreover, as most of the law enforcement services, CPS is considerably understaffed and underfunded for its in-house data protection and cybersecurity. The unprecedented havoc caused by the pandemic has exacerbated the situation with rapid growth and complication of the threat landscape, let alone third-party risk management. Cybersecurity personnel are already exhausted and overcharged with mushrooming problems, and they simply cannot police every single employee and subcontractor of the CPS who has privileged access to some sensitive data.

To tackle the issue, the government should urgently re-evaluate the financial needs of its law protection agencies and adjust the funding to reality. Otherwise, one day the most sensitive national data will become public and trigger a parade of horrors – from a tsunami of lawsuits to hundreds of suicides. Read Full Article