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Another ACC privacy breach claimed

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Another ACC privacy breach claimed

3News NZ

There is already an investigation into how information about 6700 claimants was sent to Bronwyn Pullar

There is already an investigation into how information about 6700 claimants was sent to Bronwyn Pullar

ACC is being accused of another mass privacy breach, while it is already under investigation for sending information on thousands of claimants to Auckland woman Bronwyn Pullar last year.

A member of an online ACC claimants' discussion group ACCforum posted this week that they had requested their "IT Sweep" - a record of all documentation that ACC holds about their claims - and received "a list of names regarding review dates and reason for review and claim numbers".

ACC's privacy officer, Miriama Henderson, responded on the ACCforum telling the person that if they'd received information about other clients, ACC needed to recover the information so it could contact those clients.

"We'll also advise the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of any breach," she wrote.

The New Zealand Herald reported that an ACC spokeswoman confirmed the corporation was investigating the potential breach, but had been unable to identify the claimant.

The Auditor-General's office and private auditors are investigating how information about 6700 claimants was sent to Ms Pullar.

KPMG auditors and Integrity Solutions, led by former Australian federal privacy commissioner Malcolm Crompton, are due to report to the Privacy Commissioner and the ACC board on August 23.

ACC's chairman, chief executive and three board members have resigned in the fallout of New Zealand's biggest privacy breach.

Cabinet minister Nick Smith also resigned his portfolios over a conflict of interest after it was revealed he supported Ms Pullar in her compensation claim case.

NZN

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Comments

23/08/2012 7:00:09 p.m.

Paul Shann wrote:

I have been in a 9 yr legal battle with ACC over 6 injuries to my spine in 4 months, in late 1996. 5 of those injuries happened from treatment, last 1 being during an ACC chronic back pain Study at a dangerous venue. When legal action started in 2003, ACC withheld 22 medical; reports from me and the courts. 12 reports were obtained in 2007 by a Court Order. 5 more medical reports were offered to me for sale by a person inside ACC in 2010. Evidence of 5 more medical reports was recently sold to me. Privacy commission refuse to investigate because i will not/ can not name source to ACC. Corruption in this case goes right up to the Judges who have dealt with this case so far who have been made aware ACC is withholding evidence , but will not make them hand it over.

20/08/2012 6:19:04 p.m.

kit wrote:

Don't you mean the per approved report is due on 23 August Individual breaches are ongoing

14/08/2012 6:57:17 p.m.

Jim Seaview wrote:

QUOTE; 'ACC's privacy officer, Miriama Henderson, responded on the ACCforum telling the person that if they'd received information about other clients, ACC needed to recover the information so it could contact those clients."

It would be better if 'ACC's privacy officer, Miriama Henderson did her job and actually stopped any information on any ACC client being sent out by email
in the first place.

There must be some way to make client records to be encoded that they cannot be emailed in the first place.

The public are getting sick of all the pathetic excuses from ACC.

10/08/2012 2:57:42 p.m.

Judynz wrote:

Or is Govt setting up for the dumping another public customer service.
Seldom do the public hear the truth about anything,from these types of trouble.
The public still doesnt see the importance of keeping the Post Office out of private ownership. These situations are suspiciously happening throughout the the western countries.

10/08/2012 2:45:43 p.m.

David wrote:

I think its time for Judith Collins to resign from parliament (not just the front bench) if this turns out to be accurate. This is turning into a circus. She should take some responsibility... though I forget how little National like to take credit for their screw ups. Before they started in on ACC these errors did not occur more than once in a blue moon. Now its like ACC is bleeding secrets.

10/08/2012 12:55:51 p.m.

alison wrote:

Well done Judith Collins. It seems you get paid for um er ah not much at all really. Quit and save the taxpayer your salary at the least. How many goes do National ministers get to sort themselves out?

10/08/2012 11:08:07 a.m.

Ricardo wrote:

Is this really ACC - a government department, or have we stumbled across a NZ copy of Monty Python.

I think the only answer now is for ACC to publish all their secrets in the Herald and that way there can be no more breaches as there would be no more secrets.