Data breach could have lasting impacts

The exposing of sensitive data of hundreds of young people by the Ministry of Culture and Heritage could have a lasting impact on those affected. The data included details of their passports, birth certificates and drivers' licences - which were exposed online due to a security breach on a government website. The information belonged to about 300 people, aged between 16 and 20 years old, and were provided to the ministry in their applications to take part in the Tuia 250 commemorations to mark 250 years since the James Cook landing. The ministry was alerted to the breach on Thursday last week by the parent of an applicant, who'd discovered there'd been a fraudulent attempt to purchase concert tickets online using their drivers' licence. Geehan Gunesakara is an Associate Professor at Auckland University specialising in information privacy law as well as the co-chair of the Privacy Foundation...