Data Protection.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 September 2008

Tuesday, 30 September 2008

Questions (437, 438)

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

549 Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the policies in place to secure portable electronic data devices in his Department; if those policies have been published; if so, the locations where they can be viewed; if a system of whole disk encryption has been rolled out to all laptops in his Department; the date by which he expects a satisfactory security policy on portable electronic data devices to have been implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32397/08]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Deputy Brendan Smith)

My Department has put in place a robust Information Technology infrastructure, at both the hardware and software levels, to secure portable electronic data devices. A comprehensive anti-virus software system is in place, which protects Department laptops, from email borne computer viruses.

To enhance security on the Department's laptop computers, the Department has commenced a programme of encrypting its laptops. The Department's security policy ensures that all new laptops are being issued with whole disk encryption and my Department is in the process of recalling all existing laptops to ensure that these laptops are encrypted. The Department's laptop users are also issued with a policy document explaining the encryption process and instructions regarding protecting the physical safety of their laptop from loss or theft. The policy document is available to all laptops users and is published on the Department's Intranet.

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

550 Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of Department-owned computer desktops or laptops or other data devices, such as blackberries and memory keys, reported lost, missing or stolen from his Department to date in 2008; the number of same later recovered or found; the number still missing; if sensitive or private data were compromised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32412/08]

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Deputy Brendan Smith)

The number of Department owned computer desktops or laptops or other data devices, such as blackberries and memory keys, reported lost, missing or stolen from my Department are set out in the following table:

Year	Lost/Stolen	Recovered/Found
2002	3 Laptops were reported stolen	None
2003	None	N/A
2004	None	N/A
2005	None	N/A
2006	1 Laptop reported stolen	None
2007	1 Laptop reported stolen 2 Blackberry devices lost	None
2008	5 Laptops reported stolen	None

When a device, such as a laptop or Blackberry, is reported lost or stolen, access by that device to the Department's computer network is immediately suspended and use of the device is blocked. In all cases where devices were reported stolen the theft was reported to the Gardaí. To date, no personal information concerning members of the public has been compromised. All laptops are protected by use of a user-id and password. The Department has commenced a programme of encrypting all laptops used by its staff.