Material from computer lost

Press, 2 June 1981, Page 26

Material from computer lost

Wellington

On three occasions last year computer material from the Wanganui Computer Centre was lost. The annual report of the Privacy Commissioner, which has been tabled in Parliament.said that a technician employed on maintenance work left computer material locked in his car in his driveway.

The material was stolen from the car and had not been recovered. The commissioner said however, that the material would not allow the thief to gain access to the computer network.

In the other two cases, material being sent by

courier to police stations in Gisborne and Christchurch went astray.

"The parcels contained indices only and no personal data," the report said. '’The policy committee has laid down fresh procedures to tighten up control of delivery of routine material."

The improper obtaining of information occurred in two cases.

A detective obtained a list of convictions for a friend. The detective subsequently resigned from the police. An engineer used a computer system to get information about a car. He later informed the Ministry of Transport of what he had done.