Whenever a customer completes a sale with a business, they may collect some of their personal information–whether that be a form of contact or credit card number. Other sectors like hospitals and public agencies may require additional details that could put them in a vulnerable position if a data breach occurs.
Advanced technology has made users more susceptible to this type of exposure by making data more accessible, which means companies may want to consider implementing a document management policy as part of their business continuity plans. Creating such a strategy can decrease the likelihood that an internal or external attack will succeed in capturing sensitive data.
At the Child Protective Services (CPS) office in Phoenix, Arizona, an individual came across a box filled with private information on abuse cases, a local FOX affiliate reported. It is unclear how many families were impacted, but these documents contained phone numbers, addresses, psychological exams, photographs and medical records.
"Child Protective Services never disposes cases in such a manner as it is not only against policy and procedure, but prohibited by state and federal law," CPS' spokesman told FOX. "This is clearly a breach of confidentiality and the Department is investigating further to ensure strict enforcement of privacy and confidentiality laws."
Timing is not on CPS' side, when the agency is already under fire for not looking into at least 6,000 abuse cases. Now with two investigations going on at the same time, the agency may need assistance from business continuity consultants to ensure operations remain up and running.