PSNI: Boutcher brands data breach "a wake up call"

Chief Constable Jon Boutcher described today (Monday) major data breach by the PSNI as a "wake up call" for all police forces and public sector bodies.

Speaking to media at the Northern Ireland Policing Board in Belfast, Mr Boutcher said every police force and every public sector organisation should read the report into the incident.

"It's certainly a wake up call for every police force in the country in my view," he said.

"It was difficult reading, but I accept and indeed embrace the learning within it. As the report shows no individual, team, department or decision or indeed act caused this breach.

"This is an organisational failing, and accumulation of issues. There are missed opportunities over a period of time.

"This report, as I say, is a wake up call to everybody. We must take responsibility as a leadership team for this and prioritise information security in our day to day business in the same way, as we do particularly in Northern Ireland, with our physical security."

Mr Boutcher said the Information Commissioner has still to report on the data breach.

However he said work has been under way in response, including financial aid requests to support officers in making security arrangements in their homes.

He also paid tribute to officers and staff in the aftermath of the breach.

"I also want to thank our officers and staff for their responsibility, their dedication, and indeed their resilience in dealing with this data breach in the way they have done," he said.

"They've been incredibly stoic. They have very much, by and large, remained at work.

"I hope that they realise with the responses that we've already made within the organisation that we value the information that we have about them as indeed we do about all data that is held by the PSNI, and we will ensure that we become an organisation of best practice with regards the security of all information."