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Czech EdMin awarded booby prize for data leak about Romani students

18 April 2013
1 minute read

On Wednesday 17 April 2013 the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport
received a Data Leak Award for the online leak of almost 900 Romani students’
personal information. The award ceremony was held at the Karlín Theater in
Prague. An expert jury selected the winners on the basis of criteria evaluating
the extent of damage caused by the leak, the nature of the information leaked,
and the way it was leaked.

This was the first year of the event, sponsored by Safetica Technologies. The
award is intended to draw attention every year to the under-appreciated issue of
the risks posed to corporate data integrity by human error.

The list leaked onto the website of the Czech Education Ministry in the fall
of 2011 included the names and exact addresses of 895 Romani pupils whom the
ministry had financially supported during their secondary school studies. The
Czech Office for Personal Data Protection (Úřad pro ochranu osobních údajů –
ÚOOÚ) fined the ministry CZK 450 000 over the leak.

The ministry runs a scholarship program to support youth from impoverished
families who study at secondary and technical training schools. The monies
awarded cover the costs of dormitory accommodations, lunches in the school
cafeteria, or school supplies and work clothing for practical instruction.

Other “winners” include the company Penta Investments, which was unable to
protect the personal information of thousands of job applicants in the Czech
Republic and Slovakia. The award for data leaks abroad went to NASA and
PricewaterhouseCoopers in the United States.

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