Former INM staff to take legal action over alleged data breach

Proceedings: Gavin O’Reilly THREE former Independent News & Media (INM) staff, including two former senior executives, intend to issue legal proceedings after a major suspected data breach at the company, the High Court in Dublin has heard.

The disclosure was made by a barrister representing former INM chief executive Gavin O’Reilly, his secretary at INM, Mandy Scott, and INM’s ex-director of corporate affairs Karl Brophy.

They are concerned their personal data may have been accessed during an “interrogation” of INM’s IT back-up tapes in 2014.

The court has previously heard that, according to INM, which owns the Belfast Telegraph, the company’s former chairman Leslie Buckley ordered the tapes be given to a third party service provider. Mr Buckley has pledged to robustly defend his position.

Barrister Hugh McDowell told the court Mr O’Reilly, Mr Brophy and Ms Scott wished to use affidavits and documents gathered by the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) as part of their intended legal action. The material was gathered as part of the ODCE’s successful bid to have High Court inspectors appointed to investigate the suspected data breach.

It included a list of 19 people whose names are feared to have been searched for during an “interrogation” of the data.

Mr Brophy and Ms Scott’s names appeared on the list, but Mr O’Reilly’s did not.

Mr McDowell said his clients had been granted access to certain ODCE material last April on condition that any parties seeking to use those documents would seek the permission of the court to do so. He said the ODCE had no objection to his clients using the material, but INM was objecting.

The court heard INM’s concerns were that the three had failed to identify the nature of the proceedings and against whom they would be taken. The company also feared that providing consent would infringe on data protection law.

Mr Justice Peter Kelly agreed to hold a hearing on the application next May.