USB Memory Stick Found In Parking Lot Containing Personal Data of Mental Patients
A 12 year old boy found an unencrypted USB thumb drive memory stick in the parking lot of ASDA supermarket in Stenhousemuir, Scotland. To the surprise of the young lad and his parents, the memory stick contained patient records of mental patients at nearby Bellsdyke Hospital in Falkirk, Scotland.
The UK National Health Service issued the following statement: “We are very concerned to learn of this incident and are looking into it as a matter of urgency. We have clear policies in place on the safe use of portable data devices. We can confirm a member of staff has been suspended in connection with this incident.”
This is a clear example that policies in the workplace cannot guarantee compliance. For removable media, it is critical that healthcare companies and hospitals enforce always-on encryption by only using hardware encrypted portable storage devices such as an IronKey.