Heathrow fined after data leak ‘revealed Queen’s travel plans’
HEATHROW Airport has been fined £120,000 after a security breach reportedly revealed details about the Queen’s travel arrangements.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) handed out the penalty after a member of the public found a USB memory stick which had been lost by an airport employee.
It contained more than 1,000 files across 76 folders and was viewed at a public library in October last year before being handed to a national newspaper.
The stick, which was neither encrypted nor password protected, was discovered in Queen’s Park, west London, it was reported.
The files revealed information such as security measures used to protect the Queen at Europe’s busiest airport, the types of ID needed to access restricted areas and the locations of CCTV cameras and tunnels linked to the Heathrow Express, according to the Sunday Mirror. The ICO said it also contained a training film that revealed the personal details of ten individuals involved in a “greeting party” as well as information on up to 50 airport security staff.
John Holland-kaye, Heathrow’s chief executive, insisted security had not been compromised.
Steve Eckersley, ICO director of investigations, said: “Data protection should have been high on Heathrow’s agenda. But our investigation found a catalogue of shortcomings in corporate standards, training and vision that indicated otherwise.”
A Heathrow spokesman said: “Following this incident, the company took swift action and strengthened processes and policies. We accept the fine that the ICO have deemed appropriate and spoken to all individuals involved.”
The airport’s own investigation into the matter indicated the data was compiled by a “rogue” employee security trainer and the USB stick had been lost during a commute to or from work.