Govt. Screening Questioned in Canadian Breach

When it comes to protecting sensitive consumer data, it’s important not only to limit what type of information is being stored, but also to be mindful of who has access to it. It’s the second part of that equation that’s been the basis for questions over the British Columbian government’s hiring of an official for the Ministry of Children and Family Development.


As The Vancouver Sun reports, a federal police official believes a 44-year-old man “used forged or altered documents to obtain a B.C. identification card and driver's license in the name of Richard Ernest Perran.” Under the name of Perran, the man is alleged to have found work for the government, as an operations supervisor in the Ministry’s medical benefits branch—this despite the fact that the individual, who has not been charged in regards to the allegations, had a previous, unrelated criminal record. (According to the Sun, he had been convicted of theft, unauthorized use of credit-card data, possession and use of counterfeit money, and two counts of possession of stolen property, receiving an 18-month conditional sentence in 2005.)

Equipped with a search warrant, police investigated the man’s home back in April. Documents obtained by the Victoria Times Colonist, a daily newspaper, suggest that investigation turned up, among other things, “equipment suspected of being used to produce fake identity documents, including a laminator, card printer, counterfeit currency detector, scanner and high-performance color photo printer,” the Sun reports. They also found personal data on 1,400 government-income assistant clients, according to the paper.


The Victoria Times Colonist wants to know whether the government conducts criminal record checks on new hires. The paper says it asked in writing, but has yet to hear a response. Another twist in the story: the wife of the former employee under investigation was also employed by the government—as a human resources technician in the Public Service Agency. The Times Colonist “asked what human resource technicians do and whether they have access to confidential information or the ability to set security levels for other employees. They asked if there was an investigation into potential privacy breaches in her area,” the paper writes in an editorial.

Those questions must wait for now. According to the paper, “the [Premier] Gordon Campbell government is refusing to answer any questions until two internal investigations are complete next year,” The Times Colonist reports.