Custodian of Social Insurance Numbers loses list of them
A woman complained that her Social Insurance Number (SIN) and other personal information were mishandled at a mandatory employment insurance (EI) information session. The attendance sheet containing the SINs of 32 participants went missing. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) investigated and found that HRSDC had not properly safeguarded the personal information, upholding the complaint as well-founded. HRSDC has since implemented new procedures to protect SINs at these sessions.
- Safeguarding of SINs and other personal information
- Adequacy of breach response and mitigation measures
- Preventing future breaches involving SINs
Complaint well-founded — corrective measures implemented
The OPC determined that the department failed to adequately safeguard the SINs and other personal information on the attendance sheet. However, the department took prompt action to notify affected individuals and implement new safeguards, leading to a resolved outcome.
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HRSDC implemented new procedures to ensure SINs on attendance sheets are blacked out before use and committed to adopting this practice nationwide.
This summary is informational only and not legal advice.